Of Loss and Discovery
by Ducky the most evil Swimmer
Summary: Nishir and Takari are best friends even though they don't act like it. Nishir always finds himself teased and bullied by the girl but he still somehow likes her. Their life is peaceful until a terrible event takes place. Suddenly without a home and only left with each other's company, they have to leave behind everything they ever knew in order to find a new home... and themselves.
1. Prologue

**(seriously, these summaries should allow at least 1000 characters... here's a more detailed synopsis *sigh* )**

_The two swimmer children Nishir and Takari couldn't be more different but, regardless, they're very close friends. Living in a small, sheltered valley near the coast with their small herd, their life is full of games, laughter and ridicule for those two. Nishir hates Takari because of her passion to make fun of him whenever physically possible. She's always pranking, teasing or embarrassing him as well as winning most of their games, however he is also enticed by her ways and her good looks. Too shy to admit his feelings and too afraid to be the center of the girl's ridicule, their relationship stalls despite Takari's obvious hints and Nishir reluctantly accepts the frequent humiliation. However, things change dramatically for the two swimmers when, suddenly, they lose everything they ever cared about. Left with only each other, their despair and a faint hope of a new land across the Big Water, they set out on a journey not only to find a new home but to find themselves as well._

* * *

**Prologue:**

**"Where do you come from?"**

**"Where are your parents?"**

**"What happened to your tail?"**

**"Are you two siblings?"**

**"No, they look much more like lov..."**

"Hey, not everyone at once, alright?"

_Kids... The only thing greater than their energy is their curiosity which knows no boundaries but their own fantasy. I am being cornered with questions - no, bombarded! Four little swimmers are gathered in front of me, little rascals, let me tell you! The moment I saw them for the first time, I knew they'd be trouble. Although a few seasons younger than me, they remind me of my brothers and sisters and of the fact that, in spite of all that happened in recent times, I am still a child myself._

"I'm Nishir," I introduce myself, trying to get a good first impression on these younger children and trying to look cool in front of them but I think I butchered my expression and pose. Ignoring their perplexed looks, I look to my right. "And this is..."

**"Takari, nice to meet you!"** the girl next to me says with a kind smile, waving cheerfully in greeting. _Darn, why did they buy that but not my introduction?! Ah, I guess I should be glad to see that smile of hers again - although it also means she's back to her cheeky, annoying self, ugh!_

You may wonder; why are we introducing ourselves to a bunch of children we don't know? We, that is Takari and me, Nishir, just got adopted and we've been through a lot, let me tell you that. These guys are going to be our new siblings and, for better or worse, we'll have to get to know each other and those goofballs are already excited!

"I know y'all are super-duper excited to get to know your new siblings," I proclaim in a dramatic fashion, waving around with my arms. "I bet you got lots of questions so how about..."

**"Storytime!"** My expression freezes over as Takari steals their attention with frightening efficiency. _Darn that girl, I bet she does that just to annoy me! She ALWAYS does that kinda stuff! And now she's totally spoiling my first impression on our new siblings!_

**"We'll tell you how we ended up joining your family and..."** She makes a dramatic pause and, quite unlike my attempt, she absolutely absorbs the kids with her words. **"... and after story time, you can ask until your beaks fall off! Does that sound good?"**

The roaring cheers are a testimony that Takari captured their attention excellently - _well, maybe I would have made it too if she hadn't intervened!_ Anyway, I think I shouldn't complain, especially since she seems to have them wrapped up which also means that they will probably not interrupt too much and listen. I take a deep breath, clear my throat, exchange one more glance with Takari. She nods; I nod as well. Both of us still haven't fully digested what we had to go through - Takari still cries when she goes to sleep and I am still haunted by sleep stories. Neither of us are quite comfortable with reliving the horrors of the past but this is also our chance to move on and start anew.

"Mind you, this isn't a happy story but it has a happy ending. It is the story about how the two of us lost everything we had... And how we ended up coming to this island..."

* * *

**Hi all :)**

**The fanfiction prompt challenge hosted by The Rhombus is entering its next season and while this is once again going to put a hiatus on my ongoing longfics, I couldn't resist writing a story for the first prompt as it has so many possibilities that I actually had to filter what kind of ideas I wanted to use. The prompt, as the title may suggest, is Discovery! What expects you in this story? A completely original story, probably around 50k words or a little more, based on the two characters who just introduced themselves. It's my first attempt writing 1st person POV so bear with me if it doesn't work and let me know if something needs fixing! :)**

**This also challenges me with a new system of formatting as you may have noticed in this short prologue. While writing, I noticed that it often wasn't very easy to tell who is talking so I had to come up with something.**

Normal text: Nishir is narrating, either in dialogue or narrator-style prose.

_normal italics: Nishir is thinking or having an inner monologue._

**BOLD: Someone other than Nishir is talking**

**I hope that avoids any confusion :)**

**I'm going to upload chapter 1 along with the prologue as it is so short. Let me know what you think :)**


	2. Chapter 1 - When everything was still go

**Chapter 1:** **When everything was still good**

_I suppose I should introduce myself a little more thoroughly. As I said before, Nishir is my name and I'm a swimmer. Right now, I'm walking over to the other side of the great lake where I want to meet up with Takari. Takari is a swimmer like me though, I suppose, we couldn't be more different. (Perhaps the only thing that we share is our age: twelve seasons, on the brink of making the transition to the dreaded and anticipated time of change that turns children into adults) It begins with our genders: While I am male, she's a girl; while I'm clumsy and bulky, she's graceful; while I'm insecure, she's determined; while I'm often grumpy, she's always cheerful; while I'm prone to lose, she always wins. While I'm missing part of my tail due to an unlucky encounter with flying sharpteeth at young age, hers is particularly long and well-formed. Heck, even our crests don't look alike, hers being long and thin while mine is sturdy and short. Moreover, our colours are very different too; while I'm a dark, murky colour that's some place between green and brown, she's standing out with her bright colour, somewhere between yellow and light green, resembling those yummy but awfully sour fruits that are growing on many trees around here. In a way, it matches her personality quite well. She's sweet but dangerous, quite a handful. Sometimes I feel like drowning her because her favorite past time appears to be making fun of me... Oh, that's right, not even our eye colour matches! Hers is an enticing shade of watery-blue while mine are surprisingly boring. Grey… like a bloody sky puffy!_

_...but she's unarguably the prettiest girl in our herd. Not that it is a big challenge; the herd is quite small, but she's still got the looks (I'd rather drown than tell her that though!). My family and her family joined up some seasons ago and since then lived together in harmony. We're around 20 adults strong with about the same amount of children within our ranks. I have four siblings but Takari is an only child after her clutch mates succumbed to an unknown illness soon after they hatched. She's part of the other family of swimmers but she is more like a sibling to me, particularly since we banter like siblings usually tend to do but also stand up for each other in the same fashion._

When I woke up on that fine morning, I had no idea yet that this day would be the last day I spent as an innocent child who had not seen the horrors and the cruelty of life. As I walked across green, moist meadows dotted with many wondrous plants and the occasional flying buzzer, I began to wonder what kind of ridicule this girl might be up to on this day. No matter how much she annoyed me with her taunts and mind games, she was my best friend and, although I would never tell her, I think I actually like her quite a bit. We did everything together; life without her would be like a world without water. Speaking of which, since Sky Water must have fallen over night, the ground was quite wet and the occasional puddle shimmered in the early morning light of the Bright Circle. Our home didn't have a name but it had everything we need in order to survive and go about our daily lives. It lies directly next to the fabled Big Water which is full of mysteries, one bigger, scarier and more incredible than the other. A small bay, surrounded on all sides by cliffs and rocks so sharp and steep that climbing them is something no dinosaur could ever master, thus restricting access to our small valley, with a wide, sandy beach and with a rather flat coast where children like us can safely play as the big waves never get past the rocks and cliffs. The cliffs grow into large mountains further inland, providing impassable barriers, making it impossible to enter or leave from the land, thus protecting us from most dangers this world has to offer. Our life truly is a sheltered one and I wouldn't trade it for anything, not even a version of Takari that's actually genuinely nice!

**"Nishiiiiiir, over here!"**

_Talk about the devil._ Her sweet voice suddenly called from somewhere, causing me to stop daydreaming and scanning the area for any signs of the girl whose voice still sounded somewhat distant and far. I was standing at the edge of the big lake in the center of the valley, rich in sea food and water flowers which Takari really likes. Whenever she's being particularly nasty, I sometimes fetch a few of those for her which would appease her for a while at least. _Gee, if only that effect could last beyond a day. _Behind the lake, vast jungle grows with vegetation so thick at some places that even a child of our age could hardly slip past trees and bushes that grow everywhere in those parts. It is truly a beautiful place to live.

_Where is that girl though?_ I swear I heard her voice but she is nowhere to be found. The sound of her voice came roughly from the left, around where the lake takes a curve.

"Takari?" I wonder, calling her with a questioning undertone. "Where are you?"

**"It's Hide and Seek!"**

_OH really?_ I caught myself in the movement of face-palming but managed to stop myself halfway. _That Takari, oh it seems like she's in high spirits today. I can almost picture her squatting down behind some boulder while peeking at me looking for her, entertaining herself on my behalf. But I simply won't allow it and find her fast! After all I know where to look! But wait, this is Takari we're talking about... she would never make such a big mistake unless she's plotting something... I've gotta be careful! Then again, I'll have to find her either way so I might as well just go straight to where she's hiding! There aren't many possibilities after all! It's either in the patch of tall grass or behind that boulder right at the curve of the lake. You can't escape Takari, I'm going to find you, silly girl!_

I walked slowly but with determination, careful not to step into the trap that Takari likely prepared for me - _because she wouldn't be Takari if she didn't at least try to pull something. I've known her for too long; something like this is definitely going to happen and I'll likely regret everything as I always end up doing. But for now, I've got to focus my mind on finding her and trying to avoid whatever tricks she may have up her sleeve._

As soon as I reached the tall grass, I stalled in my movement for a second to listen intently for any sound the girl might make but it was absolutely quiet except for distant conversations carrying over from the other side of the lake. Carefully, I peeked inside eventually only to find out that Takari wasn't hiding there.

_The boulder it is then,_ I quickly deducted, pulling my head back out into the open and taking a stride towards the rock. It was a few meters in diameter and about half the height of a grown-up swimmer with a very wild and irregular shape. Approaching it frontally, I couldn't spot any sign of my devious friend so I opted to go around the stone. Now I was standing at the edge of the lake, realizing with growing worry that she wasn't there either. Panicky, I scanned my immediate area but there were no traces of her trying to scare me by sneaking up from behind (something she did with frightening frequency and efficiency!) at least as far as I could tell from my position. Eagerly, I listened to the sounds around me again but only the gentle movement of the water against the shore and distant chatter was detectable. Feeling a little disheartened and defeated, I opted to stare stupidly at my own reflection while gathering my thoughts. _Where else could she be? If she isn't here, there are only a few possibilities. Most likely, that sneaky girl moved away after revealing her position on purpose but perhaps I simply didn't look properly, unlikely as it is? No, that can't be it, she must be trolling me as we speak! _

"Takari!" I bark, hoping to be granted a hint of some sort but no voice answered my call, not even the voice of the breeze that seemed to take a day off today. _Well, of course she wouldn't respond now that she has me right inside the web she weaved, catching me off-guard as always!_ Slowly, anger began to rise inside of me and also a certain determination to beat her at her own game. _Surely I must have missed a crucial detail!_ Angrily, my gaze returned to the lake.

_Wait a second, those ripples in the water right in front of me look a little... Unnatural? As if someone was diving undern... Oh if Takari is hiding submerged I'm gonna..._

***bluurrrp***

Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone spitting lots of water and before I was able to make sense of it, I felt myself being showered by a fountain of water, unnaturally splashing my way from the water surface.

"Darn you Takariiiiiiii!"

Laughter, uncontrolled and completely wild, entered my ears and I knew immediately that I lost at her game. Bathed in water and dripping wet, I quickly concluded that I might as well join her but not without some retaliation of sorts! With a mighty jump, I attempted to land on her but she dived too quickly, emerging a little distance to my right and sending another fountain of water my way, splashing my face. _Okay, you're so on, Takari!_ A wild water war broke out, taking all of our effort until we were finally tired of splashing and wrestling each other to our limits. Somewhat out of breath, I eventually spoke up.

"Well, while that was some good fun, I don't feel like any of us have won this yet. Care for another challenge to determine the winner?" Takari and I would often compete for literally anything. While these silly games were often a lot of fun, I more than often took the shorter stick. _Besides, Takari's mind games are really frightening!_

**"Sure!"** Takari's eyes were sparking with an odd mixture of emotions and I could easily spot the glee in them. _She is definitely up to something! I must counter whatever it will be!_

"Who decides upon the game?" I wondered curiously.

**"Let's have luck decide who gets to pick, what do you think?"**

"You're not thinking about this stupid game again, are you?" With a deadpan expression, I was facing her. _That smile of hers appears innocent on the outside but I know for a fact that she is good at pretending while I can't act at all._

**"Rock, Treestar, Claw, yep!"** she giggled, sending a wink my way. _That cheeky girl!_

"Why that game?!" I complained immediately. "For something that's supposed to be pure random, the odds are oddly favoring you, Takari!" Indeed, in spite of the fact that the game is supposed to be pure luck, she'd almost always win it. _Like I said, she's scary. Like she can read your thoughts!_

**"Afraid to lose?"** she taunted with a devious grin. **"I'll just win by default then, too bad."**

"Oh shut it, bring it on!" I shouted in irritation, positioning myself opposite to her, our hands outstretched and prepared.

**"Best of three, alright?"**

"Fine," I confirmed. The game's biggest appeal is also its biggest concern. There is no skill involved; everyone just picks a finger stance and reveals it on the count of three. Randomly, I set my mind on one of the three options.

**"Rock, Treestar, Claw!"** we chanted and as soon as 'claw' was spoken, both of us revealed our finger stances.

"OH, it's a tie!" I declared immediately upon realizing that both of us went with 'rock' by forming a simple fist with our hand. _At least I didn't start with a loss! Maybe I'd actually stand a chance against Takari today?! Boy that'd be awesome!_

**"Rock, Treestar, Claw!"** we shouted again and this time Takari's choice changed while I decided on a hunch to stick with my previous choice.

**"Ah, you win this one,"** the girl chuckled and I couldn't help but think how cute she looks while giggling like that. _Though looks can be deceiving._ 'Rock' may beat 'claw' but it doesn't change the fact that 'claw' is the most vicious and aggressive stance, with two fingers spread far apart from one another. _Gee, what might she pick next? Since I went for 'rock' twice, she might be thinking that I will try for a third time and pick 'treestar' instead but what if she copies me and picks 'claw' again? Urgh..._

**"Rock, Treestar..."** _Argh! Takari clearly doesn't grant me any opportunity to think this through!_ Quickly, I made up my mind and made a decision. _Perhaps too quickly?_

**"Claw!" **My spirit sank immediately when I saw her make the 'claw' sign once more. My hand, flat and wide open indicates 'treestar'.

**"Claw beats Treestar, now we're even,"** she said with a hint of a smug face and I couldn't help but look confounded when I planned my next and final move. _Darn it, I lost this one! Unless we achieve a tie, the next run decides the winner! Will she go for 'claw' again? She wants me to think she wouldn't pick it again but... what if she is already anticipating me to think that? Darn that Takari and her mind games!_

**"Rock, Treestar, Claw!"**

I ended up picking 'treestar' again, hoping that Takari wouldn't attempt a triple 'claw' but...

**"Looks like I win, Nishir!"**

'_Claw' again... Darn her! She beat me..._

**"You know, Nishir, since I technically picked this game, I'll let you decide what we're doing now,"** she suddenly proclaimed out of thin air while wearing a smug look around the corner of her beak. _How much I want to wipe that look from her face because it makes her look less like the pretty girl she is - and of course it isn't exactly great when she is subtly bragging like that! Urgh, I swear I'm gonna..._

**"You accept?"** she reinstated with a look of confidence as if she knew she'd win anything I'd bring up. _Oh, you're underestimating me greatly!_

"Sure do, let's see who's better at aiming throws!"

Little later, the two of us were standing behind a line I dug into the moist ground.

"First to throw two tree sweets into the puddle ahead of us wins this game," I declared, firmly holding onto one of around a dozen tree sweets, those extremely sour ones that match Takari's colour so well. "Loser gets to eat them all and if we tie, we share!" Right, not only do we frequently challenge ourselves but sometimes there's also a reward for the winner - _or something unpleasant for the loser..._

**"I'm game!"** Takari beamed happily, showcasing her cute smile that I love so much. **"You're blushing by the way."**

"Am not, I'm trying to concentrate!" I argued immediately but my cheeks just began to feel warmer and warmer as soon as she mentioned it. Shaking my head erratically, I managed to regain my focus soon. The puddle was a good longneck length from our mark. _Hitting the puddle with the tree sweet won't be an easy task as a result even if I consider that the puddle is big enough for both of us to stand in it (though I would never get this close to a girl, that's just plain embarrassing!)_

My first throw went well off the target but the next ones were much closer. After five throws each, we're tied at one successful throw each. _If I land the next one in the puddle, I have a chance to win but my turn is first. If she also aims well, we'd tie again. Well, everything is better than losing!_ I concentrated, took a stance, and was about to initiate my throw when Takari suddenly spoke up.

**"Say, do you like me?"**

_Eh? EH!?_ As if in slow-motion, I realized that my throw was losing force due to the surprising question but it was already too late to save the throw. It wouldn't even travel half the distance before it hit the ground, lolling away. _One thing is for certain. I won't win this game now. And whose fault might that be?_

"What kind of stupid timing is that even?!" I blurted out angrily. "Thanks to you I lost my concentration and missed!"

**"You're blushing again," **Takari laughed at me, perfectly unimpressed by my outcry. Needless to say, I didn't quite chime in.

"I'm bloody not, and besides that was super unfair! Stop laughing already!" But the girl would only laugh more until recovering a few moments later.

**"So, what is your answer?"** she inquired while wiping her eyes dry. I quickly looked away because I knew from experience that she is a very scary character whenever she wants stuff, equipped with eyes that can change a mind in a blink when exposed to them for too long.

"I'm not telling," I grunt, crossing my arms, a plan to get back at her slowly forming in my mind.

"**Aww, come on, Nishir?"** She tried the cute eye thingy on me. Well aware of its dark powers, I simply shut my eyes and shook my head.

"**You're bluuushing, Nishir!" **she sang sweetly and before I could yell a retort, she poked me in the side which forced my eyes open. _I mean, you never know, she might do it again and I'm weak against pokes! Urgghhhh!_

"Even if I am, you have to earn that answer!" I finally shouted in serious annoyance.

"**You're just trying to hide something there, aren't you, Nishir?"** Her face was suddenly way too close for comfort as she leaned towards me, cornering me like a hungry predator.

"Oh, you… E-even if I am, there's no way a big bully like you can squeeze it out of me!" I snapped in mild anger, gaining some distance between us before crossing my arms defiantly.

"**Fine…"** She faked a sigh. "**How AM I earning the answer then?"**

For a moment, I didn't know whether or not to say what I meant to say. Thinking about it again, it sounded kinda embarrassing coming out of my mouth (and kind of like a defeat too!) but, thinking about it a third and a fourth time, I quickly came to realize that it was a win-win and a loss-loss situation at the same time. Either way, there wasn't a perfect solution so I decided to speak my mind and answer her question, even though her gleeful stare clearly didn't bode well…

"I-instead of harassing me all the time… a-act more like a friend. Any outsider would think you're just some bully and not my best friend ever since we were little… y'know?" _Darn it, that sounded so awful… can I disappear please?! Like, now?!_

"**That's all?"** she double-checked. I awkwardly nodded, not looking directly at her so she couldn't see my face being all red.

**"You're boring,"** she sighed before grabbing the last tree sweet. Suddenly, she was in full concentration, lifting her arm to throw. _Time for me to take revenge._

"Actually, I kinda hate you!" I shout just when she was in the process of throwing but, unlike me, she didn't even take notice of my words, throwing the tree sweet without disruption.

***splash***

_And she hits the puddle; another game lost!_

**"Hooray!"** she suddenly cheered, dancing around happily while rejoicing in her victory. _Darn that Takari! She's a force to reckon with!_ Grumpily, I started trotting over to the puddle to gather all the tree sweets in one place in order for them to become an early, incredibly sour lunch. _Oh that evil girl, I'll get back at you for this, mark my thoughts_! To my utter annoyance and humiliation, she readily took a seat opposite to me, watching me fight with the sourness in obvious delight, watching me shaking my head and grimacing every so often. _So annoying but what should I do? I lost the game after all._

"**You know, Nishir… I think I'll think about it. About being less of a bully and all…"** I almost spat out one of those sour tree sweets. _Would she really do that though? I'd gain a lot since all the bullying would stop but… I'd also have to confess to her that I actually like her like… she's my crush! Though, I suppose that would be a one-time super-crazy challenge in return for an overall easier life. Come to think of it, why is it so embarrassing in the first place?! Why can't I just tell her?! Maybe it IS because I'm so afraid of being made fun of?! Argh, on second thought I..._

"**It's just… when I see you, I just can't help but tease you. I just can't hahaha!"**

_Yeah, go ahead. Laugh. At least one of us is happy, grrrrr… _Takari held her stomach for a good while, laughing in an utterly silly manner. _Well, at least that gives me some time to finish off a few more tree sweets while she is too busy to watch! _Although, she quickly grew bored of that too...

**"Say, Nishir," **she eventually piped up as soon as watching me no longer entertained her, fully recovered from laughing at my expense as it seemed. **"Actually, you are kind of liking me somewhere deep down, aren't you?"**

I almost choked on my food when she brought that up, awkwardly coughing as her cute smile returned in full power.

**"Hmm, I'm sure you don't hate me; you wouldn't play with me if you really hated me, right? Riiiiiiiiigght?"**

"I, erm..." I was absolutely cornered, not knowing what to say.

**"Your face is super red again by the way,"** she casually mentions with a light chuckle.

_Are you even trying, Takari!? You just continue where you left off! I can't even be bothered to look at her face, instead staring at the pile of empty shells from my lunch as I finally stuff the last one into my beak._

**"Look at me, silly, compared to those tree sweets I'm really nice, aren't I?"**

"I beg to differ..." I muttered between my teeth but the girl must have heard it much to my bad luck.

**"Sorry, could you repeat that, I couldn't understand the gist of what you were saying..." **The tone of her voice was shifting, sounding almost devilish as she approached me.

**"Nishir, do tell me."**

"No..." I grunted, looking somewhere far away just to avoid her penetrating stare, her beak now way too close for my liking. _Again!_

**"I do insist..."**

"In your sleepstories..."

Suddenly, Takari started poking me in various places and I couldn't help but cry in hilarious laughter while trying to protect my sides from the worst but to no avail. Takari was laughing too, keeping it up for a short while until, abruptly...

**"You're it!"**

Her attack stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Suddenly, I saw her sprinting away and by the time I was able to recover, she was already far away. _Darn it, another game she tricked me into! She is so irredeemable!_

Over the course of the day, I lost almost all of our games, be it more rounds of tag (I got her once when she tripped over someone's tail, ha!) or word games. She beat me at practically everything and, at the end of the day, I eventually swam into the lake to fetch a few water flowers to make sure that the evening, at least, would be a little calmer and free from evil and obnoxious teases! Since I lost at so many games, she made me come with her to watch the Bright Circle depart from the sky, something she liked to do for whatever reason. _I mean what's so special about it? It happens every day over and over again! Girls... the day I will understand them is the day the Bright Circle freezes over! _

So, eventually, we were sitting at the sandy shore of the Big Water, the gentle waves occasionally flooding our feet and behinds but we didn't mind. We're swimmers and a swimmer who doesn't like the water is a dead swimmer! I simply sat there for a while, brooding about my numerous losses today while occasionally peering over to the girl who was playing with the flowers I got her earlier, apparently happy and without a worry in the world. Watching her absorbed in braiding the flowers into a crown of some kind was much more interesting than watching the Bright Circle slowly creep closer to the horizon over the neverending body of water. _Couldn't that hot circle hurry it up?! _However, in spite of the fact that I appeaced her with those flowers, I was being very careful lest she takes notice of me, observing silently because I'd bet my share of dinner that she would bring it up tomorrow upon noticing. The Bright Circle was about to touch the horizon when she suddenly turned her head towards me just when I happened to take another glance. _Darn it, she noticed me after all!_

**"Are you watching me, Nishir?"**

Although she formulated it as a question, her tone revealed that she already knew. Thankfully, she wasn't wearing the gleeful smile she would usually wear on such occasions but instead wore a more innocent and kind variation of it. _I can't get out of this, can I?_

"Ah, not exactly..." I stammered quickly, looking away immediately lest she catches my embarrassment. "I'm just a little bored and I run out of things to look at, y'know..."

**"I see."** She giggled a little before returning her attention to finishing the flowery crown while I returned to my thoughts. _At least Takari was being considerate enough to keep her stinging remarks on-hold after I got her those!_ The Bright Circle had just begun touching the surface of the water somewhere far away when the girl addressed me again.

**"Hey, Nishir."** Apparently, she had finished the crown, now wearing it on her head rather proudly. **"How does this look on me?"**

"Just look at your reflection," I answered promptly as if that was the most obvious thing to do. However, I totally failed to see the purpose behind that question until she kindly unveiled it.

**"I already did but..."** she suddenly jumped to her feet and hunched down in front of me instead so that I couldn't avoid to look at her. **"Well, I want to hear what **_**you**_ **think about it."** She poked me softly into my chest as she said that, wearing a curious smile that was actually devoid of any ill intent. _Guess she's really serious about it so I'll just have to take a quick look. I can't deny it; she looks really cute while wearing it... I mean… cuter than usual… But I'd rather drown than tell her that!_

"It looks... alright... I guess," I told her with some reluctance, keeping my glance at her as brief as possible. For a moment, she seemed to be a little disappointed but it was just for a split second before...

***poke***

**"You're blushing again," **she giggled while poking my cheeks which caused me to fall over in surprise. _What the heck, Takari!_ Disgruntled, I sat back up while rubbing the sand off my back.

"So much for not bothering me when I kindly give you some of those..." I muttered which prompted her to giggle even more.

**"Oh you, I'm just stating what's obvious,"** she said with a wink before putting on a more serious face. **"I'm really happy you got me those though, it's not often that you're being such a kind dinosaur so I really savour those moments, you know?"**

_Look who's talking..._

"Like I said, you, too, could be a little more kind once in a while!" I ranted immediately which caused the obnoxious but adorable girl to laugh once more. _What a pain she is!_ Grunting, I returned my focus to the distant horizon again.

**"Hey, want me to rub the sand out of your scales? It's because of me you fell earlier after all."**

_Now she's seriously trying to be kind just to get the last word and deny me a mental victory over her. Not on my beak! _

"Nah, I can do it myself," I quickly denied her offer while shaking my head vividly.

**"You're just embarrassed again, aren't you?"**

"Oh shut it!" I ranted which made her laugh once again until she finally settled down next to me once more. Instantly, I inched away from her because, as always, she's getting too damn close! _There's a thing called 'personal space' for the Bright's Circle's sake!_ The silence that suddenly reigned was a welcome state with only the gentle movement of the water making any sound at all. The Bright Circle was partly submerged now and one could actually see how it slowly crawled out of sight. _I'm not denying it; it does look rather cool with all those colours in the sky and it has a tranquil feel to it that I can appreciate while it lasts. I guess Takari must really like it._ Upon taking a daring side glance at her, I noticed that she seemed really enchanted by the scenery, staring into the distance with a dreamy look and a content smile. _Gee, I wonder why she always comes here for this event?_

"Say, Takari..." I spoke up hesitantly, earning the girl's attention easily.

**"What's up, Nishir? You'd like a back scratch after all?"**

_This girl... _

"O-of course not!" I shouted in irritation. "I'm just a little curious; why do you watch this like… almost every day, Takari? It always kinda looks the same, pretty cool, yes, but doesn't this get old rather quick? What do you like so much about it?"

A distant smile filled the girl's face as the Bright Circle finally disappeared, leaving only diffuse light and various shades of orange and red in its wake.

**"I am just being thankful for all the good things that I can enjoy day after day,"** she said with a mysterious faraway voice which took me by surprise. **"I know some dinosaurs think it's nonsense but I really do believe. The Bright Circle guides us in a way and it makes sure that we're doing well, spending us light and sometimes sending rainstorms to keep the plants that we eat moist and lush. I'm just being thankful for the sheltered life that we can have here in this beautiful place without much to worry about. You should do the same thing every now and then, Nishir."**

Perplexed, I stared at the girl who was offering me an inviting smile. The way she had said these things left no doubt that she was being dead serious about this. Come to think of it, I don't think it's a bad thing to do as she does. My father would always say that we should be humble and thankful for the things we have that many others out there do not have. Safety, food, water... and, most importantly, home. This place was home for me and home was like… everything I ever cared about! I couldn't even imagine leaving it one day. The mere thought of it was absurd!

"I suppose it doesn't hurt if I do," I told her quietly, closing my eyes and thinking of all the things in my life that I hold dear. My beautiful home that protects me from all the dangers from outside, my loving family who's always there when I need them, even my annoying brothers and sisters! _Takari, I may hate you most of the time but you're actually very high on that list too. Life without you would be... Well, I guess I don't even want to know. More peaceful and less stressful for sure but... I guess I would be a little lonely. Not that I'm ever admitting it!_

Things got quiet for some moments as we both committed ourselves to being grateful and when I looked back up at the sky, some sky puffies had appeared where the Bright Circle roamed just a little bit ago. _Guess we're getting a rainy night again, not that I'm complaining. Between night and daytime, I think I prefer nights easily since I'm sleeping anyway. _

**"Sky Puffies... their life must be interesting. As much as I love my home, sometimes I have to wonder what it's like to be outside... "**

My gaze wandered over to Takari as she spoke up dreamily without warning and, it seemed, she was being quite serious about the things she said this evening. In general, she was being such a silly girl that it felt extremely odd to see her so docile and philosophical all of a sudden.

"Yeah, I know right?" I said without thinking much about what she had said.

**"Those sky puffies are so lucky; they can see so much from way up there and they can go wherever they want. Sometimes I do wonder what the world out there looks like but, I guess, I'm just too happy here where I am." **

I couldn't help but give this some thought after all. It was already odd that we were thinking about the same thing to begin with when we were usually so opposite.

"I feel likewise, Takari, but we have no real reason to go outside... if such a thing is even possible to begin with..." Indeed, it was pretty much impossible to enter or leave our little world. Flyers could cross the mountains, obviously, and the more versatile adults were capable of swimming way out there, past the sharp cliffs that also extended underwater, making the mere attempt utterly dangerous and silly.

It was nothing children like us could ever accomplish.

**"That's right; we mustn't be too greedy,"** the girl said with a serious face. **"We already have far more than our fair share is in the world we live in. We simply shouldn't ask for more."**

_Boy, this is such an unusual and awkward conversation._

"Yeah, you're right about that," I quickly agreed but the girl wasn't done talking yet.

**"Still, I do believe that it's okay to be a little curious, don't you think, Nishir?"** She smiled at me again so I quickly turned my head away lest I get reprimanded for blushing again. She giggled at my antics but said no more until a little while later when it was beginning to get seriously dark. We were just walking back to our nests when she suddenly said something that caught me off-guard.

**"Imagine that you have to leave home and you can only take one person with you. Who would you pick?" **

_What kind of question is that even?! Give me a break you crazy girl!_

"Uhh, I dunno," I eventually said, trying to avoid having to think about such an absurd thing but Takari was being unusually serious today and wouldn't accept such a sloppy answer.

**"Give it a serious thought, Nishir. I'd like to know what you will answer."**

_Right... You just want to see me squirm over impossible decisions again, Takari! I know you too well; you can't fool me with this! I'm just picking someone important to me to get this over with quickly, just you watch! _

"Ah, I guess I'd go with my mom then," I told her nonchalantly.

**"Oh, I see," **she promptly responded. **"Any particular reason why it has to be her?"**

_Darn that girl, she's way too curious (and cute, don't give me that look, I beg you!) for her own sake! _

"Oh you know... Between you and me, I'm less likely to be yelled at since my mother is not very strict."

**"Ahaha, THAT is your reasoning?" **Takari burst out laughing and I was pretty sure it was on my expense as usual!

"What's so funny about this?!" I yelled at her, my hands firmly on my hips like my dad whenever he was mad. _So, actually, fairly often as me and my siblings were a constant source of chaos._

**"Oh you know, it's just so **_**you**_ **to say such a thing!"** she replied, still giggling heavily. _Gee thanks, it's so YOU to laugh at me for literally any bloody reason too! Seriously..._

"Anyway," I grunted. "Who'd you pick?"

Takari soon regained her senses and stopped her silly laughter, instead appearing to be in a state of thoughtfulness for a little while.

"Who is it?" I urged her much like she liked to push me while trying to make a decision. _Come on, Takari!_

**"Hmm, the dinosaur I would like to go with is the one that's dearest to me."** She said that with an expression so convincing of being serious and yet she is trolling once again! _I know she does, I do!_

"And who might that be..." I deadpanned.

**"Take a guess!"**

_I can't believe it..._

"Seriously, I told you too! It's not fair, Takari!"

**"If you can figure it out, I'll be less of a bully, Nishir,"** she tweeted happily before our paths separated. My nest was getting close now.

"You're so evil, just you wait!" I yelled at her but she barely took notice of my words, waving her arms and holding her flowery crown in it.

**"See you tomorrow and thanks again for the flowers!"**

_Well, I guess I'm gonna give it a shot after dinner._ As I trotted over to my nest, I began to wonder if Takari would even be able to hold that promise given how little she changed her attitude today even after receiving the flowers (well, she clearly _did_ like those at least). Then again, it was awfully tempting for my best friend to be a little nicer to me.

In the end, I could not find any answer though and had I known what would happen the other day, I would have taken it a lot more seriously.

* * *

**"Wow, your land sounds really cool!"**

The smaller swimmer is looking at me with a bright, excited smile. I have barely just started my tale, Takari filling in whenever she sees it fit. We told our new brothers and our new sister about the beautiful home we once had and, while it was still there, still a paradise with everything a herd of swimmers needs, it would never be home again.

**"Why did you have to leave your home then?"**

**"Yeah, it's probably even better than this place here, why'd you come here across the Big Water?"**

**"We had the best home we could ever have, that's true,"** Takari spoke up and, for the first time since we started telling the tale, I was actually glad that she was talking rather than me. **"But... we had to leave it; there was no choice but to go..."**

**"What happened? Do not be sad!"**

Children are amazing in some cases, I noted at that point. They didn't know us yet and, even so, they were already showing compassion for Takari who was clearly beginning to feel a little gloomy at the prospect of reliving what we had to go through once more. I am certainly surprised by the fact that they accepted us as part of their family already and treating us like family too. Through their innocence, they didn't judge. It was a state of mind I wish I could return to sometimes but part of the child in me, and most of my innocence, had been lost on that day.

"Let's get it over with, shall we, Takari?" I said in a calm, serious voice, patting her on her shoulder in a supportive manner. Exchanging a glance, we both nodded at each other before I started narrating…

* * *

**Here is chapter 1 :)**

**I do hope I was able to introduce the two main characters effectively. Their antics may have dominated the chapter but believe me when I say that the focus of the story is not on comedy. I have simply designed these two to have an interesting dynamic that makes them stand out above the large crowd of generic OCs that many authors seem to add to their stories. If the comedy bothered you, don't worry, it'll be extinguished soon by the coming events. If you liked it, I may reuse these characters in future short stories and, besides, chapter 2 will make he transistion from their funny everyday life to the plot kicking in so you have another chapter to look forward to :D**

**But, yeah, let me know what you think, especially, about the first person narration. Personally, I really like it but I'm full of bias, of course :D**


	3. Chapter 2 - The Mysterious Caverns

**Chapter 2:** **The Mysterious Caverns**

Did I ever mention that I hate my family? Well, I guess it's similar to how I hate Takari but at the same time she's my best friend. Waking up in the morning was one of the few occasions where I would gladly live without them as they would always wake me up way too early and play jokes on me when I wouldn't get up. _I mean come on; not everyone has the Bright Circle shining out of their behind early in the morning!_ I'm a night swimmer as my grandmother loves to put it; I usually don't go to sleep before the Night Circle is up in the sky and don't rise before the Bright Circle has risen. But my family has no sense of restraint when it comes to my morning sleep. Grumpily, I was eating breakfast that morning after one of my brothers poked me awake with a stick, bothering me with it until I had to get up to chase him off. Takari and I usually took turns visiting each other in the morning and today would be her turn to pick me up. _Ah Takari, I still have a score to settle!_ Quickly, I gobbled down as many treestars as I could while frantically trying to come up with a plan to take revenge for her messing with me the other day. _Perhaps I should hide too but actually pretend I'm not around? Or perhaps... Ehehe, that might work!_ Not only did I plan to hide from that devious girl but I was even planning an assault of sorts. Quickly, I ran to get a tree sweet and climbed a nearby tree with lots of leaves to conceal my presence and just in time. Takari arrived no sooner than I was ready, lying in wait, waiting for the girl to be close enough to drop the tree sweet on her. However, my plan got spoiled before it could be carried out. Takari entered the nesting area of my family, immediately drawing my mother's attention which was my downfall, literally.

**"Good morning, is Nishir awake yet?" **

**"He should be, dear, good morning to you too."**

**"Then where is he? To be honest..."** I saw Takari form a grin. "**I think he may be hiding from me..." **

It was just then when my mother's glance fell onto me, crouching down on a branch of the tree.

**"Nishir, will you **_**please**_ **come down here?"**

I was so surprised that I accidentally slipped and fell into the bushes underneath. Unscathed, I emerged, rather displeased about the whole situation and the fact that Takari was laughing quite heartily! _Darn you Takari!_

"What do you wanna do today?" I asked with no enthusiasm whatsoever as I trotted over to her position. The failure to surprise Takari sat deep, lowering my mood quite a bit.

**"Oh, I feel like going into the caverns again, wanna come with me?"**

I could name hundreds of reasons why I shouldn't come along into the cavern but, then again, Takari sounded like she had already set her mind onto it and once she was fixated on something, there was no stopping her.

"Fine, I guess," I told her quietly.

**"Great, come along then!"** she beamed and only now I noticed that she was still wearing the flowery crown on her head. **"Last one to go in is a scare-dy egg!"**

"Yeah yeah..." I muttered as I set into motion, chasing after the girl who had apparently called a race without me noticing once again. _Darn it, I'm so going to catch her!_ Running after her at my best speed, I was eventually able to tackle her about halfway there, just when we were beginning to enter the thicker parts of the jungle on the back side of the valley. Panting, I reprimanded her.

"You're quite as bad as my family, Takari, making me do workout before I'm fully awake!" My reprimand didn't seem to have much of an impact on the girl though.

**"I thought your family was your most precious thing?"** she pointed out, probably referring to the talk we've had the other day. **"Yet you talk about them as if they only upset you."**

"Oh, believe me, both you and my family upset me a bunch all the time," I blurted out to make room for my irritation and this time it seemed like Takari's smile was about to be wiped from her due to the accusation. "It's just that life without either of you would be... bad. I love my family, they're great but... annoying. And..." Suddenly, I realized what kind of situation I was maneuvering into and quickly decided to change the topic. "Ah, never mind that!" _There's no way I can tell her that I also like her in spite of being so annoying just like my family! I'd rather get eaten by a sharptooth I think. _Takari suddenly studied me with a look on her face I had rarely ever seen before. She did so for a few moments before she addressed me with a question.

**"Say, Nishir, were you able to figure out who I'd take with me?"**

"Uhh, no, not exactly," I replied. _Darn her, just reveal it, Takari!_

**"I see, that's too bad,"** she said with a broad smile and a faint chuckle. I could only look at her in perplexion. _I mean, this was clearly important to her and yet she is fine with me not being able to guess it? Seriously, I never seem to understand Takari... _

**"Let's keep moving, come on Nishir!"** she suggested eventually while beaming and humming. I don't really know what I did but somehow she was being particularly kind to me during the rest of the walk. Soon, she picked up the conversation again.

**"By the way, I totally agree with your line of thinking about your family. I mean..."** For a brief moment, a hint of melancholy mixed into her cheerful mood. **"I know your brothers and sisters are annoying you a lot but you still love them, right?"** I instantly nodded, wondering what she was going on about. **"I totally wish I had any siblings, you're really lucky, Nishir!"** With a brilliant beam, she looked at me, her cute smile irritating me for a moment but, thankfully, she didn't notice I was getting embarrassed again. **"Which makes me wonder, Nishir... I also annoy you a lot, don't I?"** _You totally do, Takari! _Resolutely, I cross my arms in front of me which sparked a short-lived giggle. **"Say, Nishir, it's a little similar, isn't it? It's almost like with your family too; I annoy you but you still like me, riiiiight?"**

I could only awkwardly stare at her as she said that, my mind going a little blank. Was she suggesting that I liked her like I like my family? _Wait wait wait WAIT! Is she suggesting... No way I'm not... _

**"Something wrong? You look funny,"** she wondered in response to my reaction. I was still trying to determine what her words were implying and telling her the truth was out of question!

"N-nothing, I think I had too much for breakfast," I quickly lied, pretending to have a light stomachache to make it somewhat believable.

**"Oh, that's probably my fault then because I made you run so much and running is bad after meals. Sorry about that."** Takari was still wearing her cute smile as she said that but still... She is actually apologizing? I didn't think that she'd even know how that works.

**"You know, Nishir, sometimes it almost feels like you're family too - you're like a silly little brother to me sometimes, hehehe." **

_Takari... Family? Siblings? What is that crazy girl thinking?! We're just good friends and have been for as long as we can remember! Geesh, why does she always have to say such weird things?! _

"Don't be silly, we can't be family; we're not related," I argued fiercely but it convinced the girl little.

**"We could be family,"** she said rather cryptically but I couldn't make sense of it at all. **"Anyway, I think I'm not opposed to the idea; a family with you would be a lot of fun, no doubt, hehehe."**

"Yeah, coz' you'd annoy me all the time for your own entertainment! That's the kind of dinosaur you are!" I cried, pointing a finger at her chest.

**"Maaaaaybe,"** she declared rather nonchalantly, poking me once (why you!) before walking ahead, humming happily and hopping around just like a little child. Admittedly, it was a rather peaceful and tranquil scene and I didn't mind it a little bit.

_It's moments like this when I truly appreciate our friendship._

For the remainder of the walk, I tried to decipher both her cryptic messages and the guessing game of the previous day but to little avail.

However, if there is one thing that I agree with it's that I'd probably see her as a sister figure myself if I were an only child like her.

Finally we stood in front of the caverns. They were carved into the unforgiving rock that sheltered our home, dark and mysterious. Takari and I had never been able to explore every tunnel and crevice because it literally got too dark to see anything in the deeper parts. With a look of awe on her face, Takari said.

**"These caves never fail to get my blood excited, let's go in, Nishir!"**

I couldn't quite say the same about myself but of course I couldn't let the girl know that I was always a bit spooked in there so I nodded and marched ahead.

At first there was only one single path with lots of stone teeth hanging from the ceiling. We walked until the first intersection appeared.

"Where'd you wanna go today?" I pondered out loud, prompting Takari to make a decision because I was spooked no matter where we were going. Towards the left, there was a path that didn't go far because the ceiling had caved in with no way to get past. The center and right paths, however, would split into several paths and rooms rather soon.

**"I wanna go to the cavern with the lake in it,"** the girl exclaimed. **"Swimming in the dark is so cool!"**

_Yeah, right. You wouldn't even see if something was sneaking up on you! You're way too reckless, Takari!_

**"Come on, or are you too scared?"** she taunted with a silly giggle. _Yeah right, I'm a little spooked in the dark, but you needn't know!_

"'Course I'm not, don't be silly!" I retorted, marching ahead with big steps to prove it that I wasn't the least bit scared! The visibility dropped rapidly as we advanced and I caught myself sticking my hands out because I was getting afraid of bumping into a wall I couldn't see. Perhaps because I needed to prove to myself that I wasn't scared, I turned around to face Takari.

"See, I'm not scared! Takari?" I double checked. Takari wasn't behind me. I could swear she'd been behind me all the time.

"Takari?!" _Did something happen to her while I was too busy pretending to be braver than I am?_ "Where are you?" I received no answer whatsoever except for my own echo. It was as quiet as it could be, so quiet that the sound of my own breath suddenly felt disturbingly noisy; so quiet that I could even hear my own heartbeat. _Where is she, goddammit!?_

"Takariiiiiiii!" I called once again but the sweet voice of my best friend and self-proclaimed honorary sister didn't come echoing back to me. Slowly, I was beginning to worry. What if something had silently snatched her? I suddenly realized that I was all alone in the dark, a thought that was similarly frightening!

"I have to find her!" I said quietly to myself, starting to tiptoe back, looking anxiously around me. Of course I couldn't be sure if something was wrong but I had to check!

"Wait a second..." _Takari likes to make fun of me and, in particular, she loves to hide from me without telling. She's done that yesterday as well, didn't she?! She's probably waiting somewhere so she can scare me! Ha! She's so obvious!_ It seemed really convincing now that I figured it out but, still, I had a funny feeling in my gut. What if something had happened to her after all and I, thinking she is trying to get a scare out of me, would abandon her in the process? I had to be sure that she was fine... because I couldn't forgive myself if something bad happened to her. No matter how much I hated her, she was still precious to me.

I hadn't walked far when a funny sound came from the direction we came from. It kind of sounded as if something was splashing on the floor - _like water!_ But there wasn't any water at my current place; we've been here so many times that I'd know by now. What was going on?! The sound of splashing soon died but the mystery remained tangible and Takari's absence concerning. At this point, I just wanted to hear her voice even if it was mocking me and I just wanted to see her face even if it was gleefully taunting me. I was afraid to be alone.

"Takari, come on, you're probably here, aren't you?!" I called with growing frustration and desperation after not being able to find any clues in this dark cavern for many minutes. Just then, I heard something move behind me. _Is it Takari?_ I turned around but I couldn't see anything, yet something was scrambling across the floor. Now I was seriously spooked.

"Ta... kari?" No answer. Frightened, I slowly walked backwards. What if something had indeed made a snack out of her? Maybe it was still hungry for more and...

Suddenly, there was rapid movement directly behind me and, before I knew it, something was forcefully launching itself onto me from behind, landing on my back and making my legs give in from the additional weight, all the same clinging something around me. Panicking, I screamed at the top of my lungs before a most familiar sound reached my ears.

**"Boo!"**

It was Takari's voice; it was Takari hugging me from behind. My heart was already beating fast but upon the realization that she was so close to me, it increased even more. She had been hiding from me indeed and now she had pounced on me, successfully scaring the shit out of me. Hearing her voice made me happy and relieved as all pressure fell from me, even her touch didn't feel too bad after worrying so much about her - _though it is still super embarrassing!_ Quickly, I freed myself from her.

**"Sorry, did you miss me?"** She said that with a lot of wit in her voice. Only now, as my body slowly calmed down, I realized just how much I hated her.

"Argh, Takari, damn you! I was bloody worried about you! And this is exactly why I hate you so much! Urgh!" Even though I yelled at her with a lot of authentic anger, she just laughed hysterically and after a moment of sulking, I couldn't help but forgive her just like I would always do eventually.

"Whatever, just don't do it again..." I eventually grunted.

**"I'm actually honestly sorry, Nishir, haha,"** she said, still not done laughing. **"I know, I should have responded to your call but I was curious how you'd react."** Suddenly, she recovered from laughing, growing more serious as she carried on. **"Actually, I was a little moved when I realized how worried you seemed to be about my wellbeing. I really appreciate it, I do."** At that moment, due to the lack of a light source, I could only imagine how adorable her smile might look but I was also a little glad because neither could she tell that my face was very red once again.

"Right... it's what friends do when they get separated," I said quietly because it was already a little embarrassing to admit in front of the girl.

**"Though, mostly, you were just scared on your own, weren't you?"** _Will she ever make up her mind whether to be kind or a bully?! Darn you, Takari!_

**"Of course, I'd be scared too,"** she suddenly admitted. Takari was good at everything and didn't have any weaknesses - that's what I always thought of her and it's why I'm always trying so hard to be better than her at something. It wasn't very often that she'd reveal a weak point of her so easily in front of me.

**"I'd be scared too; it's why I always drag you with me, Nishir."** _So Takari has flaws after all, I need to exploit this in the f..._

**"By the way, I'm only telling you because you said that I should be kind a little more often."**

_Huh?_ My blank face probably prompted her to keep talking.

**"Fine, I'll tell you one more weakness of mine; it's my apology, okay? I can't sleep when I'm alone. My mother once punished me to sleep away from the nest when I was being naughty and I didn't close an eye all night. It's kinda silly."**

_Well, I can hardly take advantage of that, can I? Still, what has gotten into you, Takari?_

"Gee thanks for the information," I said neutrally. "You didn't hit your head, did you? You're acting funny today..." It was actually a sub-par attempt to tease her but, I think it's a given fact that I suck at it.

Quite unlike you.

**"My head is fine, thanks for the concern,"** she replied with apparent amusement. **"It's just... after talking to you the other day, I realized that I should try to be a nice to you a little more often if I want you to like me."**

_Wait, what?_

**"The thing is... it's just too much fun to toy with you, I can't help it."** Her cheeky grin was bothering and flustering me in equal amounts and I reluctantly decided not to ponder further about the meaning of her first sentence.

"Well, I-I guess that's fine..." I said quietly in response. I think I like that version of her, apologizing and a little more honest, though I couldn't gather the guts to tell her that.

"L-let's get moving again," I eventually suggested though I still hadn't forgotten to ask her why she had gone hiding in the first place. _Because, unless I'm terrible at reading between the lines, it doesn't seem like she did it on purpose. Maybe she actually got spooked by something?!_

"So... You said you were sorry about hiding," I casually mentioned as we trotted deeper into the cave. "W-were you sorry about hiding or just about not letting me know you were?"

**"Sorry about hiding in the first place,"** she immediately responded with an innocent look.

"Ah, but then why were you hiding? Got spooked by something?" I tried to taunt her but if it even registered as such, she simply ignored it.

**"No, it's actually a little embarrassing, haha."** _The great Takari knows what embarrassment feels like? The heck are you embarrassing me for all the time when you know how much it sucks?!_

"Eh?" I raised my eyebrows although I couldn't tell if she could see it in this darkness. _Was I about to learn even more weaknesses of this insane girl?_

**"You see... my tummy was a little angry,"** she explained evasively. **"I think mother is to blame - you know, she always thinks I'm not drinking enough and having too much fun to remember drinking so she wouldn't let me go until I drank half of the lake! I... guess my tummy didn't like so much of it, haha."**

I was expecting a lot of ridiculous reasons but this is clearly off the scale!

"Wait, did you... argh too much information, Takari! That's disgusting!"

**"Well, I said it's embarrassing, didn't I?"** she defended herself with a shy laugh. **"Even more reason not to let you know, right?"**

_To think I even heard her do it... I think I'm getting sick..._

"I'll never go into that crevice ever again..." I muttered, prompting yet another laugh in Takari before I quickly began to increase my pace to get away from it as fast as possible. However, I hardly got very far before something unusual happened. Somewhere in the caves, there was a great rumbling sound, as if a portion of the ceiling caved in somewhere.

**"What was that? Sounds like an earthshake but I didn't feel anything. Did you?"** The fact that Takari also stopped walking to listen intently made me feel better as I was already being quite spooked by the mysterious sounds the caverns made today.

"Yeah, whatever it was, it wasn't an earthshake," I agreed, listening intently to the sounds that seemed to come from somewhere behind us in one of the other two main branches of the cavern.

***growl* *snarl***

"W-w-w-what the heck was that?!" I cried, instinctually clinging onto Takari and not even feeling embarrassed about it as she did the same thing upon hearing these strange sounds echoing through the tunnels.

**"Let's hide, just in case,"** she muttered, clearly frightened herself which made me feel a little better. _At least I wasn't hearing things that didn't exist._ We slipped into the next crevice we could find. It was barely big enough to fit us both together and, as we hunched down in fright, I already wished for a bigger one since our bodies were touching each other. Though this perhaps wasn't the time to get embarrassed. Somehow, these growls and snarls wafting through the cave made me feel very uncomfortable, foreboding something bad.

**"Almost sounds like there is a group of dinosaurs in here,"** Takari whispered while hiding behind me. **"But that would be impossible, wouldn't it? I mean, the grown-ups wouldn't get very far before the ceiling gets too low..."**

"This doesn't even sound like something a swimmer could do with their voice," I added darkly. "Do you think there are creepy creatures in here?"

**"I don't want to know..."** If I hadn't been scared to the bones myself, I would have probably teased her but this truly wasn't an ordinary situation and I felt like danger was indeed lurking in these caverns today...

**"I'm so glad this didn't happen while I was relieving myself..."**

"Did you have to mention that again?!" I hissed, rolling my eyes but I guess it was just another testimony to the fact that Takari really did get scared in dark lonely places without me around. _I should totally exploit it as soon as we're safe again._

After some time, the sounds slowly grew more distant and faraway. I wasn't particularly good at hearing things but I could almost put my finger on it that, whatever creatures we heard, were headed into the valley we called home. Although I simply didn't want to believe that something was living in these cavern so I discarded the thought out of sheer comfortability.

"Hey Takari, I think we're fine for now but, just in case, let's not go deeper today," I eventually proposed and, to my surprise, Takari agreed without a tease coming my way. Incidentally, I also wanted to get some space at last as sitting in a crevice together with Takari was among the most awkward things I could think of! Readily, I got to my feet and started walking back to the entrance of the caverns, the girl following me and being unusually silent. I guess she was just being as frightened as I had been. I almost started jogging soon and couldn't be more happy to see the Bright Circle shine outside after being in this dark place together with something else.

"Oh boy, finally back in the light!" I exclaimed in an almost dramatic way, stretching myself in relief. "Don't you agree, Takari?"

"**Yeah, it sure is nice," **she replied immediately. "**I guess we were both a little scared." **_If only you could always be like that, Takari… but I bet you're back to your old self all too soon!_

"So… what do you want to do instead?" I casually wondered, avoiding direct eye contact as usual.

"**Wanna go swimming at the Big Water?" **the girl promptly suggested with a smile and I honestly found no error within that suggestion so I quickly nodded.

"Sure, let's go," I said neutrally, walking ahead into the thick jungle. The thought of hideous creatures entering our home to cause mayhem still hadn't completely left me but I tried my best to shake them off and label them as nonsense.

"**Say, Nishir,"** Takari suddenly spoke up. _When did ever something good happen when she addressed me like this?! _"**What kind of creature do you think we've heard?"**

It was hard to tell what the girl was up to as her voice neither seemed to carry the timidness of earlier nor the gleeful tint that usually preceded her attempts to ridicule me!

"Oh, it was probably just something stupid our minds made up," I reasoned neutrally. "It was probably nothing, forget about it."

"**You're just too scared to think about it, aren't you?"** _So she was aiming for the tease after all…_

"Why, you're just trying to distract from the fact that you were about to lose it yourself!" As always, Takari simply started laughing whenever I tried to fight back, however that laugh was wiped from her face when an ear-piercing scream rang through the air...

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**Was hoping to get this chapter done a bit sooner to be honest but christmas festivities got in the way.**

**This chapter delves a little deeper into the relationship between Takari and Nishir and brings things into motion along with some more comedy but now that the characters are sufficiently introduced and a transition prepared, the story is ready to show its true colours whenever the next chapter will go online (hopefully soon). I hope you're enjoying this project so far and, if you're not fond of the slice-of-life comedy, this is the last chapter that focusses on it so your experience should improve from here on :)**

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Keijo6 chapter 2 . Dec 16

This is an interesting start to this story, certainly. Your handling of the first-person perspective works quite well and it seems to fit this fic quite well. You kept things very strictly in Nishir's perspective, as you should, and considering this is your first fic of this kind, you did rather well in that regard. The plot seems pretty open right now but the two siblings' characters were developed rather well and you built a solid foundation on which to build this story further.

**Thank you very much, that is really great to hear! Of course I read a little about how to write that kind of perspective first and yeah I realized while writing the chapter outline that first person would work really well here. **

I always like fics where the main character is actually telling his or her own story to others as it creates a more interesting feeling to the story and it allows the reader to sympathize with them more closely. Nishir and Takari certainly don't feel like their old selves anymore and even if gives away that both of them survive the story, it also makes it even easier to appreciate all they've gone through as they go through their past deeds in real time.

**My first draft didn't involve that they're telling the story in retrospect but I'm glad that the idea occurred to me eventually as I find more and more ways to utilize it as I continue to work on the story. I'm glad that I was able to convey the change in character between present post-trauma time and the past times they're telling their new siblings about (they'll later be named too). **

About the second chapter, it was sufficiently detailed to really introduce us to our protagonists. The contrast between the siblings is quite stark and while it's rather extreme, those differences make it easier to give them distinct personalities. However, that installment already made me heartily dislike Takari as I was more than upset with her even before the midpoint. She seems far more tolerable in the current day, though, so there's hope I can get over her at some point.

**You're right, Takari is quite the bully (not out of spite, granted) and I would be quite opposed to becoming friends with someone like her to tell you quite frankly :D I'm glad that you're giving her a chance though because she will undergo severe development starting with chapter 3. I'm sure she'll be less uhm obnoxious from now on :P**

That being said, it's good to see you breaking new ground with your tales and this seems like a rather promising story. You certainly can make this an extremely interesting fic and it'll be great to see just what kind of miserable story the siblings have before themselves. But well done with the style and premise thus far!

**Thank you very much, I certainly do hope that the story will end up living up to the expectations. I'm certainly encouraged to do my very best now, thank you! :)**

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Guest chapter 2 .Dec 15

A very promising start to this new story. As you mentioned in your notes, I especially liked the characters and their dynamic since it's something we haven't seen in the series before. All to often when authors make OCs they're heavily based on existing characters but Takari and Nashir feel completely unique. Despite being swimmers they're both clearly different from Ducky and while Ali did tease Littlefoot a bit in 4 the dynamic here is completely different. Good work with making an LBT appropriate version of Rock, Paper, Scissors by the way. While I can't see the gang ever playing it, for obvious reasons, it feels like something that would exist in their world. I look forward to seeing more.

**I'm really glad that Takari and Nishir don't feel like generic characters which is honestly one of the worst mistakes a writer can do when writing original characters lol. And yeah lol, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what kind of words they'd be using to describe the hand gestures xD**

**Thanks as always :)**

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The Rhombus chapter 1 .Dec 18

This is quite a promising introduction to a new story. Beginning a story by using the character's own storytelling as a hook is a good, time-honored way of giving a reader an idea of what has transpired without giving too much away. In this introductory prologue we now have a feel for the personalities of our two protagonists, an idea of what happens at the conclusion of their tale, and that it has an unhappy beginning. This strikes the right balance between giving too much away and not roping the reader into the story. I look forward to seeing how this story develops from here. :)

**Like I told Keijo, that prologue with the 1st person narrator (Nishir) looking back at what happened to him which is ironically what the reader doesn't know yet came up rather spontaneously and I absolutely agree that it's proving to be effective. Thanks :)**

The Rhombuschapter 2 .Dec 18

I quite enjoy the banter on display in this chapter as it clearly shows us the personalities of these two characters in a way that the prologue only hinted at. Both of our main characters, Takari and Nashir, are very distinct from other OCs in the fandom and exhibit a rather humorous amount of familiarity and teasing banter between one another. I also must applaud you on coming up with an LBT version of rock, paper, scissors. I can almost imagine fastbiters using this to resolve disputes, but it obviously wouldn't work for longnecks or threehorns. :p I don't really have much more to say about this chapter, except to say that the objective of introducing the two main characters and their personal dynamics was certainly achieved. I look forward to seeing what happened next which interrupted their childhood.

**Aww thanks! I'm so glad that it worked out so well! :D And yeah, for once the big four footers would be at a disadvantage in such a game LOL!**

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Anagnoschapter 2 .Dec 18

I will say that this story is rather interesting thus far, and the first person view in it works relatively well and you have managed to pull it off nicely. While I am not a big fan of first person stories, I am happy to see that you are trying something different for exchange. I have found myself many times trying to find the perfect style precisely for me in the past, and I believe I have found it now. Still, there were certain things that I will bring up that I found to be lacking.

**Yeah, I am indeed trying something new and different here, mostly because the setting really encourages that kind of storytelling I think. I concur too... finding one's writing style can take many years as I learned after getting back into Shorty's Dark Past and realizing that my old writing style is rubbish lol (and I'm probably still far away from reaching a quality I can truly be proud of).**

The introduction chapter gave us a clear view on the main characters and their relationship with one another. Whatever happened to these two likely only made their bond so much more important and strong, but that remains to be seen. Although, this is where the problems begin the surface. Personally, I would have kept the introduction as part of the first chapter. It still would have worked legitimately in that case, and would have helped to ensure that the overall mood of the story didn't suffer. This is just my personal opinion on the matter.

**I like using prologues :D (I think that's what you were trying to say, merge prologue and first chapter?) I agree, it would have worked just as well if I had done that but I guess that's personal preference indeed. :)**

While the comedic part was a welcome addition and even entertaining for the most part, it did feel like that very portion overshadowed the drama behind it that would soon come to pass, but it is understandable considering that tension will likely soon follow. I feel like that some of the things that Nishir thought about could have been delivered better had they been done in the manner of, show don't tell, for example. Your example kind of gave the impression that a narrator was telling the story.

**It was quite a fickle problem to introduce these two as their characters were designed to have that comedic interaction. I couldn't go without because it's an essential part of their character dynamics but I agree that it shouldn't overshadow the actual tone of the story which seems to be the case now that you haven't seen the dramatic stuff yet but I hope the balance is good once you can view the story in its completed form (and, yes, the 2nd chapter has quite some more of their ridicule) but the tone will change dramatically as soon as the drama kicks in full-force in chapter 3. I'm glad that the comedy was still enjoyable though :)**

**As for the "show, don't tell" thing, I'd be very happy if you could pin down some examples where that slipped my mind so I can watch out for it in future chapters and make sure to fix it if possible. Thank you :) (Also, Nishir is the narrator so I kind of have to force him to explain a few things that dialogue and character interaction cannot convey. Also, a whole story full of inner monologue also isn't that enticing I think :D**

Takari is not exactly an easy character to get along with from the initial impression, so I completely understand and even sympathize with Nishir. This was a very great way to show how their relationship developed over time and it gives more detail to their characterization compared to the introduction portion and you did this one perfectly.

**Yes indeed, Takari is quite the bully/prankster and not what you'd call a good friend to rely on and yet they're best friends. It's quite fascinating that Nishir puts up with her all this time. I guess he must really like her haha. It'll be interesting to see how their character traits change as their life takes a tragic turn and I think part of it is hinted at in the prologue. Thanks :)**

So far, the plot seems to be very interesting and your style definitely makes it work a bit better in the grand scale of things. I hope I wasn't too harsh in my review, and I will be looking forward to how the story develops from here. There certainly is potential to create sweet drama in the next installments to counter the comedic atmosphere.

**Don't worry, this was a very fair and constructive review, it's really appreciated! :) I hope I can create that sweet drama indeed and I shall be doing my very best to make it work! :)**

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OwlsCantReadchapter 2 .Dec 23

First-person is a tricky perspective to use, but I say you captured Nishir's frustrations rather well with his maelstrom of thoughts. I also like how the start of the chapter shows how different Nishir is compared to Takari with him listing a wide array of differences, as it is a nice way to describe both characters without being explicit about it.

There is definitely some belligerent tension between Nishir and Takari, the latter of whom comes of as the wholesome prankster type who is likely making fun of a swimmer she arguably likes. The reverse psychology she displays with the game of rock-treestar-claw and her instigating questions to mess with Nishir truly are something, and seeing things from Nishir's point of view only captures his muddled feelings as his emotions swing between irritation and a repressed longing crush. I am excited for more with these two indeed, they have a hilarious dynamic.

**Thank you very much! :D**

**I think your review sums up their character dynamics perfectly and I'm glad that you liked the (rather extented) list of differences lol. I kinda got started there and really started to try and come up with as many things as I possibly could :D I totally need to draw these two at some point or at least commission someone to do that.**

**Aside from this chapter here, this dynamic will not be the main center of the story from here on but I wanted to make sure that this dynamic was well introduced and the characters established before the tough stuff happens. Kinda sucks jumping right into the drama without knowing the characters at all. It's the biggest challenge while writing OC-heavy short stories tbh and I guess that's why I go for longer stories all the time lol. Anyway, thanks :D**

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***breathes***

**Thanks for all the feedback guys! I'll work hard on the story and hopefully have another chapter ready within a couple days!**


	4. Chapter 3 - The day we lost everything

**Chapter 3: ****The day we lost everything**

**(some scenes may be a little graphic, be warned if you're sensitive to this kinda stuff)**

* * *

I wanted to believe back then that what Takari and I had heard had been but an auditory illusion but, unfortunately, we were proven to be wrong. The screams of some children, full of terror and fright, rang through the air like thunder following a mighty bolt during a storm, destroying my illusion entirely. _Something's gotten into the valley, we've gotta…_

Quickly, I took Takari who was stunned in shock by her wrist and started pulling her along.

"**W-where are we going? Why are these kids screaming? What's going on?"**

"I don't know, Takari, but we've gotta let the grown-ups know that something's not right!" I replied in a hasty voice. If something had entered our home; something that's malicious, possibly dangerous, then the adults had to know. Chances were that they may have heard the screams themselves but we were still far from the central lake where most of the herd were usually to be found.

The children's screams (it sounded as if it was a group of three) soon changed into even more frightened variations, almost as if something was chasing them around with malicious intent. Suddenly, one of the kids emitted a shriek that sounded as if it was in heavy pain, closely followed by two more pained cries that quickly subsided.

And then, silence.

"**Nishir, what's going on?!" **Takari asked with rising panic which matched my own. Children didn't scream like that for the fun of it, even if it was a game played realistically. The sudden silence was more than unnerving. Why had these kids gone silent all of a sudden? It was just too suspicious.

"Let's run, whatever was lurking in the caverns is probably chasing the kids!" Or it had already caught them but I couldn't bring myself to voice what I was fearing.

A few minutes of breaking through the tight jungle later, the silence, which hadn't been broken ever since the pained shrieks rang through the underbrush, was once again broken when a chaotic tumult broke out fairly close to our position, sounding almost as if the better part of the herd was entering a stampede.

"_We're too late!"_ I thought and gritted my teeth while my heart was hammering in my chest. Somewhere deep down, I knew that the peaceful life that defined our home was over now and that Takari and I were going just where it would be dangerous.

"**Nishir, I'm scared, what's going on?!" **Takari cried behind me. _Funny how she is acting so timid all of a sudden despite always calling me out about being a scaredy egg or whatever. I guess it's only in the face of danger that people show their true colours. _

"We're almost at the edge of the jungle, let's hurry and find out!" I urged her and ,for the lack of a better idea, Takari followed. As we approached, the soundscape around us was exploding. Screams were ringing everywhere, adults and children alike, and it almost sounded as if a fight had broken out. Sounds I had never heard before, terrifying, alien sounds reverberated from the nearby mountain walls, engulfing us in a cloud of eeriness and dread. Just what type of creature had entered our home?!

Finally, the vegetation lifted in front of our eyes and I instinctively threw myself low to the ground, crawling to the edge of the forest to peek out of a bush.

And wish I didn't.

The majority of the herd was engaged in combat with creatures I had never seen before though stories about them existed far and wide.

"**F-f-f-fastb-b-b-iters!?"** Takari couldn't believe her eyes and neither could I. At least two dozen of these agile and vile creatures were swarming the grassy plains, attacking anything and anyone in sight. Swimmers were much larger than a fastbiter but inadequately equipped to fight the small and agile dinosaurs with their razor-sharp claws and teeth. Those who were living outside where sharpteeth were an every-day threat may know ways to outwit and defeat a fastbiter but rarely anyone from my herd had ever seen a fastbiter before, not to mention fight one of them as far as I was aware. And neither did anyone think to flee into the lake which could have been a temporary salvation.

I was utterly powerless and shaking, too petrified to look away as the fastbiters organized into groups of three to four to gang up on the grown-ups. One after another were struck down in pained cries as blood started pouring from them and children were chased all over the place. As soon as a grown-up was struck down, they moved on to the next, leaving them to bleed to their death from their gruesome wounds. It was a massacre!

_My family…_

Quickly, I shook out of my petrification. Somewhere in this mess were my brothers and sisters and my father and mother! And Takari's parents too! Regaining my focus, I quickly scanned the battlefield but I couldn't find any of them in the chaos. Most adults were already critically injured, some with horrible wounds that made identifying them impossible. Only one pair was still fighting while the remaining adults were trying to run for it and so were several children.

"**Daddy, no!" **

I looked at Takari in surprise as the girl suddenly began to scream in terror and quickly realized that it was a very bad idea to scream around in this setting.

"SHHHHHH, do you want them to notice us too?!" I hissed, shunning her.. Even if the sheer noise the fastbiters were causing was probably enough to cover our own voices, one couldn't be careful enough in the face of danger. Quickly, I realized why Takari had been screaming; the pair of swimmers still fighting against no less than six fastbiters were Takari's parents and they were about to be overwhelmed! Her mother's entire flank was cut open but the female was still standing while her father was trying to protect her, swinging his tail at any fastbiter that dared to get too close but the fastbiters dodged each of them. Suddenly, all of them leapt at the same time, toppling both swimmers, their screams reaching my ears moments before Takari's horrified cry. At first, I wanted to reprimand her again but realized quickly that I would have screamed too if I had seen my parents being overwhelmed by fastbiters. Their screams continued as the group of six fastbiters began what looked from the distance as if they were eating them. _Alive…_

***Bleeehhhgg***

Suddenly, Takari began retching violently right next to me and I barely managed to escape the squall of stomach contents erupting from her mouth as her whole body cramped in response to the horror that was transpiring in front of our very eyes. A nauseous feeling quickly established itself in my own stomach as well when I realized that, in the matter of minutes, almost the entire herd had been taken out. No adult was still on their feet and the only screams were coming from children still fleeing from the much faster predators. One group was trying to make it into the jungle a little to our right and, with horror, I realized that it were my siblings, chased by half a dozen fastbiters. They weren't heading straight towards us but still I began to feel uneasy at that moment. If our hideout were to be discovered, we'd be done for, I knew that much, and yet my biggest concern at that moment was that my siblings didn't get eaten like those children we had heard screaming earlier (now that knew what had intruded our valley, I could tell that the sudden silence must have meant that they got eaten) but, unfortunately, it was looking bad for them. The fastbiters were only feet behind them and catching up fast! I began praying that they wouldn't meet the same fate as Takari's parents but they had no chance as the group of fastbiters started flanking them to prevent them from changing direction.

Suddenly, they all leapt in, claws outstretched and the chorus of pained cries confirmed that not a single one of them would survive the assault. Before I had a chance to react, my own stomach emptied itself, accompanied by painful cramps. I wanted to scream; I wanted to believe that everything was just a scary sleepstory but, if this was one of those, the point where you'd wake up from the sheer horror of it had long since passed. I had to accept that it was more than likely real, that Takari and I just lost family and friends and that we might be next on the menu!

_We've gotta run!_

My stomach was still cramping awfully and Takari was still retching too but I couldn't wait for that to subsede. We had to escape, had to run away. Of course there was nowhere to hide in an enclosed valley but I figured that the caves were the only place we might be safe so I grabbed Takari without a word and started to run as fast as my legs would allow me.

* * *

A heavy burden falls from me as I finish retelling the gruesome assault on my herd. Takari is fighting against the tears streaming down her face and I, too, feel a little miserable after mentally going through these memories too. _Actually, I feel very miserable. _The occasional sob from the little swimmers confirms without words that they are either too shocked or too sad to comment on the events.

"**Poor, poor you…"** one of the kids finally says in a weak voice. "**I… couldn't live without mommy and daddy…"**

"**That's what we thought too… " **Takari replies while wiping tears from her cheeks.

"Yeah," I concur darkly. "You can imagine what kind of shock that was for us… playing happily like always and suddenly you find your entire herd and family killed by fastbiters! It's ridiculous!"

"**And we-we would have been killed too if you hadn't saved me, Nishir…"**

Indeed, if I hadn't pulled myself together, running from the scene before we, too, were spotted by the predators, neither of us would likely still be alive now. Though there had been more obstacles too, challenging our very survival.

"It's not the only time I saved your butt, y'know?" I grunt in her general direction, failing to make up my mind and being half smug and half tsundere about it.

"**You wouldn't have made it without me either," **Takari retorts weakly. Apparently, this small argument has helped her to defeat the tears but hadn't one of the kids spoken up at that moment, we might have fallen back into old bickering habits.

"**Actually, I don't believe you! There's no way kids like you can live without your parents! You're probably making all of this up!" **One of the boys who appears to be particularly rambunctious, steps up with an incredulous expression, only to be yelled at by his sister.

"**Idiot, stop being rude to them; they've been through a lot and they're kind enough to tell us about what happened to them even though it makes them sad too!"**

"**Yeah, Emi is right," **one of the other boys, the tallest out of the bunch, yells at his brother and he also appears to be the smartest of the bunch.. "**You should be more considerate, Raver."**

"**Oh, shut it, Beakles!" **Raver retorts, sending a malicious glare at his taller brother.

"**Oh, you're just salty because Greenie no longer plays with you ever since…" **The fourth sibling, a somewhat meekly looking boy is talking to Raver though I begin to get lost in the conversation between the four. I blame it on the nature of young, excited and playful children such as I used to be but they haven't told us their names yet in addition to looking very similar to each other. Though, I'm learning their names now as I let their little argument unfold, curious about the dynamics between these little rascals since I will soon be part of them myself.

"**DON'T you bring that up, Zekir!" **I don't know yet why but Raver is suddenly giving off vibes of someone who has also experienced death on some level. Takari seems to have noticed too, engaging herself in the conversation, perhaps also to stop a fight in the making.

"**What's the big deal, guys? What about Greenie? What happened to her? Why are you upset uhm, Raver, right?" **Everyone is glancing at Raver now who, given that he started the argument, is now expected to answer.

"**F-fine!" **he shouts angrily, scowling at his siblings before turning towards Takari and me (he must have noticed my curious glance). "**Greenie is a girl I used to play with a lot before… well, a swimming sharptooth got her mother and she's never talked to me ever again, hiding in some cave up high in the mountain!"**

"**More like… she doesn't talk to anyone anymore," **Emi adds with a hint of darkness in her girly voice. "**Only one to survive from her clutch and growing up without a father; she sure had it tough, poor thing."**

"**I can understand Greenie…" **Takari claims quietly, quite obviously moved by the unknown girl's fate.

"That's right, of course you would," I exclaim understandingly. After all, Takari had been very close to becoming just like Greenie, shutting off entirely after witnessing the death of everyone she knew - except for me, obviously. _But wait, we didn't cover that in the story yet._

"Raver, perhaps you'll believe us after we're done telling you guys about the aftermath?" I prompt him and, to my surprise, the boy gives in readily.

"**Probably… I just find it hard to believe because… Greenie can't live without her mother!"**

"**If Nishir hadn't been with me… well, you'll see in the story very soon," **Takari speaks to the group, gaining their full attention which prompts me to return to the events right after we experienced the likely death of our entire families…

* * *

Takari and I didn't stop before we had retreated as deep into the caverns as we possibly could, taking a number of paths that would be guaranteed to be too tight for a fastbiter to fit. We had actually intended to go to this very place earlier in the day to have fun but now such a thing was unthinkable, only our losses, fears and pain dominating our thinking. A small lake was sitting inside the cave with an opening in the ceiling. At least it wouldn't be completely dark. We collapsed on the spot as soon as we found a place suitable to sit down, completely worn out from the mad sprint and the sheer weight of the images we had had to witness. Neither of us had anything to say; we were just sitting there with racing heartbeat and breath which just didn't want to subsede. Takari had some more cramps before she hid her face in her arms, too shocked to cry and it was no different for me. I still couldn't believe all of this had really happened and it would take some more time until it truly sunk in. For once, I didn't object when Takari eventually allowed herself to lean against me because feelings like embarrassment or pride simply didn't exist anymore.

They had been wiped just like the lives of so many that day…

* * *

I must have dozed off at some point but when I came to, the cavern was considerably darker than I remembered it. _Oh right, it must be nighttime by now…_ Occasionally, the distant sound of waves crashing against the cliffs could be heard (apparently, the room we were hiding in was quite close to the Big Water) and some water was dripping into the central lake through the tiny hole in the ceiling. _Another rainy night, I see…_

My glance wandered over to Takari (who wasn't leaning against me anymore but, instead, had curled up a few feet away from me, making no sounds that could tell me whether she was sleeping, crying or just being idle. The sight of Takari brought back all the bad memories at once and I almost ended up retching again. Quickly, I gulped down some water (a trick my mother would always suggest whenever the stomach sickness struck the herd, either easing the nausea or making the vomiting episodes less painful). Luckily, the cool water aided my revolting stomach and stilled the thirst I hadn't noticed up until now. _Swimmers need a lot of water after all. I guess I should look after Takari too. _Carefully, I walked over to her position. I couldn't see her face since she hid it well with her pose but the slow rise and fall of her back as she breathed rhythmically calmed my nerves somewhat. _At least Takari was still alive; the girl who I secretly admire._ Focussing on these small things was the only way to stay sane in this situation. Stories about swimmers losing their minds after tragic losses weren't unheard of and I'd rather not become material for one such tale. Anyway, I had to make sure that Takari was okay. The fact that she hadn't said a word since seeing her parents being eaten alive worried me almost as much as the unknown fate of my own parents.

"Takari?" I used a voice so soft I didn't think I could actually use. Takari looked so broken, curled up in the corner, and it didn't occur to me until a few moments later that she'd never hear me like this if she were asleep.

"Takari?" I prompted, this time in a normal voice. When the girl made no sign of hearing me, I repeated her name once more while carefully poking her sides which finally prompted a weak reaction. She moved ever so slightly but remained silent.

"Hey, are you ok-I mean… look…" Suddenly, the old awkwardness kicked in but I didn't allow myself to fall for something so trivial - not when more important things were at stake!

"We-we've probably lost our families there… a-and you haven't said a word ever since…" Before I knew what I was doing, my right hand was resting on the back of her head. "I'm worried about you…" That, finally, prompted an adequate response. The girl, though slowly, shifted around and sat up, legs close to her body, arms wrapped around her legs. Her eyes appeared dry when I got a glimpse at her which was odd since you'd expect someone like her to cry after going through such a loss. _Not that I'm any better but I'm still too shocked to let it sink in, I guess… And it's probably even worse for Takari…_

"You should drink something; helps against the stomach pains," I told her casually as I watched her being a heap of misery. "You're still having them, I suppose?"

I had to look very closely to recognize her nod as such. It seemed to me as if all she was doing was responding instinctively to whatever things were triggering responses in the first place. Even though she nodded, she wouldn't get up to get a drink.

"Takari, come on. You need to take a sip of water. Swimmers need to drink, remember?" I suddenly felt a sudden urge to start crying but I could tell that Takari had it worse than me so I pulled myself together. It had been our parents, the parents we likely wouldn't ever see again who had impregnated that sentence into our minds when we were still young. Something inside of me was getting really close to snapping and I was glad that I could take care of Takari there just so I wouldn't have to think morbid thoughts like that.

Like me, Takari was able to keep the water inside but there wasn't really any sign that she was using her intellect, acting as if she had shut off her mind entirely. It worried me greatly which gave me another problem to worry about beside something I had been brooding about before dozing off eventually. _I need to check if my parents are dead or not and I want to check what happened to our home overall. But I can't leave Takari here, I just can't! And… I don't want to go alone either. The fastbiters should be asleep after their meal _(I almost puked at the mere thought) _...so it mightn't be too dangerous… and just maybe it'll break Takari's trance?_

"Takari? I want to go outside to see if there are any survivors. I don't want to leave you alone though so are you coming with me? I'm… scared to go alone…"

For the first time, I got the impression that what I had said actually registered in the girl's mind since she raised her head ever so slightly to look at me in horror. Though no emotion could wipe the despair from the blue orbs that were her eyes. _And only now that I am able to look into them, I notice just how beautiful they actually are._

"Don't worry, the fast biters are probably sleeping, it's night right now; we should be fine," I assured her quickly. "Please… come… with me, Takari…"

The girl moved her lips slightly but no sound came out of it. "You don't want to?" I guessed on a hunch, surprised when she actually confirmed with a nod. "But Takari… we can't stay here forever… we've gotta see if anyone made it. They might know what to do now… I don't want to go either and I'm extremely anxious what we'll find… but I'm not leaving you behind!" Takari appeared to be considering it but her fright was as obvious as bright day light.

"We've gotta stay together; it's all we have left! Come with me…" I held out my arm and gave her a pleading look, something I wouldn't have dreamed of doing when this terrible day started but there was no going back now and it was probably about time that we began to accept our harsh new reality and started to treat life a lot different than we used to. Finally, Takari grabbed onto my hand, looking at me with glassy eyes and an expression that said so much more than a thousand tears ever could. I nodded weakly before starting to walk slowly, always making sure that she would continue to hold onto me lest I'd lose her in the darkness of the cave system...

We made our way in utter silence. The caverns were silent, the forest was silent. We were silent, only the soft pit-pat of light rain creating some sort of ambient atmosphere. Even if there had been any free space in my mind to clear for some talk, the fright that was taking hold of every bone in my body and the terror of the day were sealing my beak tight and, as far as I could tell, Takari was now as mute as a rock. It was something that I just had to accept for the time being since the terrors she was going through were much larger than my own.

With an eerie sense of anticipation, the two of us were slowly advancing through the jungle, me going ahead while making sure that Takari would continue to hold onto my wrist lest she'd get lost in the darkness. The fact that I couldn't see much was unnerving me to a great extent. If a fastbiter were to notice us, we likely wouldn't see it coming unless it decided to break through the tight underbrush with force. Even though my gut was telling me that fastbiters were sleeping at night just like any dinosaur would, I didn't want to throw my caution in the wind. Coming out here was a big risk, even at night. I was endangering myself as well as Takari who I was dragging along for my own convenience, admittedly. The best we could do was acting as silently as we somehow could which meant acting careful when encountering thick underbrush and going around such obstacles wherever possible. As a result, it took what felt like an eternity to cross the whole jungle, something that had only taken mere minutes at most during our hasty flight previously.

Finally, I was able to recognize the path we broke through the bushes and brushwood and we soon found the vantage point from where we had observed… _observed how the herd got slaughtered, observed how Takari's parents got slaughtered and-and… my… _I couldn't finish the thought as voicing it aloud would be enough to break my composure which was only in a state of limbo because of Takari whom I had to look out for. It was a very fickle state and the longer our walk was taking, the more I began to realize how terrible the consequences of the attack were for the two of us. Losing friends and family wasn't the worst of it from a detached vantage point that didn't include our very personal sorrow. As far as survival was concerned, we were no longer safe and, unless this excursion into our homelands were to be successful, finding survivors of the attack after all, we'd be left to fend for ourselves, to care for ourselves…

...to BE by ourselves. In other words, alone in a world full of enemies who were eager to eat you while occupying the lands that used to be home. Now it was a place coated in blood and death. It wasn't home anymore.

I had to stop thinking about these things and I was really glad when I was able to step out of the dark forest which had seemed to make me more and more depressed by the minute. A rancid smell reminded me of the fact that both of us had lost our breakfast here so I casually pulled Takari some distance to the right until the smell of vomit had vanished from our noses. _The last thing I need is more vomiting and stomach cramps…_

"Here we are…" I muttered quietly. Takari was wearing a blank expression, acting very distant and far away. She was obviously still stuck with the shock and wasn't making any improvements as far as I could tell. _Well, from a different perspective, it'd be kinda bad if she decided to start crying right here so I should be glad she isn't a risk to getting ourselves exposed right now._

"We need to find out where the fastbiters are," I told her quietly though, quite obviously so, it was as if talking to myself as Takari's consciousness was somewhere entirely else. The rain had been gradually increasing over the course of the last third of our journey and was now falling in streaks rather than droplets, creating a distinct soundscape. There was now a little wind too, gentle but occasionally blowing some of the rain into my face. The darkness was about as bad as it could be. Of course I knew where trees, bushes or Takari were but spotting a fastbiter in this darkness seemed impossible. I knew the scenery in front of my eyes and how it would probably look like right now if there was any light to go by but I simply couldn't anticipate the position of the predators nor whether they were active or sleeping. I suddenly didn't know what to do and I began to realize how stupid and dangerous this whole mission had been in the first place! _Going into a dark place that's full of predators without being able to see them! Yeah, Nishir, that's just another way to get Takari killed and your sorry hide along with her!_ Frustrated, I continued to peek into the darkness, only to see nothing but black and nothing. Suddenly…

***flash***

I noticed Takari jerking slowly behind as a lightning bolt struck somewhere in the distance over the Big Water, its light so bright and unexpected that it blinded me momentarily. Though, what seemed like just another reason to give up and head back into the caverns to get some rest, was actually the solution to our problem! _If there's a thunderstorm coming, the bolts will light up the landscape briefly, allowing me to see! Maybe I can spot those blasted fastbiters after all!_

Fired up, as the distant thunder began to roll in coupled with a gust of wind, I set my eyes on a certain spot in the landscape, waiting and hoping that the storm would send many more bolts to light my path. And indeed, the next bolt struck hardly after the thunder had ceased to echo off the mountains, flickering a few times which allowed me to see the landscape in front of us for a brief moment. I could locate the lake and a few diffuse "bumps" on the ground that were most likely the bodies of dead swimmers. Immediately, a sickening feeling overcame me but I knew that this was not the time to be engrossed by these things. As a matter of fact, it was now part of our life so it was best to get used to the sight as soon as possible.

Patiently, I waited for the next lightning strike and this time it actually struck fairly close, just shy of the coastal areas of the valley. I knew we wouldn't have a lot of time before the storm would break loose as weather was generally coming from the Big Water's direction which meant that the storm was approaching us. Its light allowed me to confirm that these were mere carcasses though they were too far away to see the gruesome details. The rain suddenly picked up even more, drenching both of us in mildly cool water but I didn't mind it one single bit. Both the rain and the storm were a blessing as it allowed us to see and move without being heard due to the noise the rain was causing. After a few more minutes, the lightning rate had increased to intermittent cloud flickering which cast sufficient light onto the landscape to allow us to move. I hadn't been able to spot any fastbiters anywhere within the grassy area I could see from my vantage point which prompted me to get moving.

"It should be safe to go for now, I can't see any fastbiters in this area," I explained calmly to Takari, although it sparked no reaction. The lightning seemed to have some spooky effect on her though as she held on me with particular force, almost as if she was afraid of getting lost. "Follow me."

The land was gently sloping down from here on and I continued to keep my eyes out whenever lightning lit up the sky, marching across the muddy, grass-covered ground while pondering how to proceed. _I'd assume that any surviving swimmers wouldn't be easy to find as they'd be hiding just like us to survive. Since I know how many adults there are, perhaps…_I suddenly came to a standstill as a rather disgusting but effective method distinguished itself in my mind. _We may not be able to find any survivors at night when we can barely see them but… we can count… the dead..._ Just at that moment a bright lightning bolt struck the cliffs on the coast, its thunder booming with ferocity while Takari walked into me. Was it actually possible to count the dead? Was it even necessary? For what it was worth, it was sure to take a long time to find everybody and extremely gross too. Likely, the fastbiters had eaten from the corpses and that wasn't something I ever wanted to see, also for Takari's sake as her condition was certain to get worse in that case. As I walked slowly, another morbid thought entered my mind before I was able to block it from unfolding. _While we're at it… we obviously can't perform any death rituals but maybe we could at least… say goodbye? I'm fairly certain of the location where Takari's parents were killed and as for my s..._

***crack***

There hadn't been any lightning for a few moments so I hadn't seen the obstacle until I literally walked right into it, breaking whatever it was and disrupting my thought process. Somehow, that something felt odd, kinda like a rock but with something soft sticking to it as well. I immediately jerked and leapt back in irritation. Just then, lightning struck extremely close, thunder almost immediately following. I didn't want to believe what I saw while the scenery in front of me was illuminated: I had walked right into a group of carcasses belonging to swimmers my age, just in the general area where I had seen _them_ getting chased during the attack. During the next lightning strike, I chose to look a little closer and immediately regretted it as I recognized the dead child. Suddenly, a rainstorm began to engulf the two of us, blowing heavy wind into our faces and drenching us to the bone, small rivers forming around our muddy feet. Almost nothing reminded of the dinosaur she once was, a skeleton with barely any flesh left on her and a broken tail now that I stepped onto it, the head missing entirely. Yet, on the tip of her tail, some skin remained. There was only one swimmer in my herd who had developed a blue colour and it was one of my sisters…

Without warning, I threw up, splattering all the water I had drunken earlier over the skeleton in front of me. Hot tears shot into my eyes immediately as I stood there in the middle of a raging downpour, panting and holding my stomach while my eyes couldn't go off the body of my dead sister - or what was left of it anyway. Soon, I saw what was left of the other four, some of their carcasses missing entire body parts.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Reality finally caught up with me and, against the raging storm, I screamed, screamed as more and more tears blurred my vision, screamed as the images of my siblings, now mere memories, were floating around my tormented mind, screamed until something hugged me gently from behind. It was Takari. Suddenly, resignation flooded in and, within seconds, all energy was gone, all feelings of rage, hate and loss dissolved into thin air. _"They're all dead!" _I collapsed onto my knees and started crying loudly as the thought replayed inside my head infinitely. Suddenly, I couldn't care less about any goddamn fastbiter sneaking around who might hear my wails, couldn't care less about the rivers of water that were swelling up due to the extreme downpour, couldn't care less about my original mission. I felt defeated, empty, hopeless… I felt like the world had abandoned me and tossed me aside. As my whole body trembled with every sob, only Takari weakly clinging onto me from behind reminded me of the fact that I wasn't as alone as I felt at that moment.

Almost for the entire duration of the storm, I wept without hesitation and when I finally calmed down a little, the water had risen so much that the bodies of my siblings were mostly submerged. It was a sight so sad that I simply wanted to cry more, however some part of me began to register that I shouldn't do it in such a dangerous place. Sadly, I got back up to my feet, directing my attention to Takari who was still clinging.

"Y-you can let go of me now… I'm fine now." _Actually, I'm not fine at all but the last I need now is Takari worrying about me…_ "T-thanks, Takari… that… helped a little… thanks…" Suddenly, I felt really awkward and, to some degree, I was glad when she finally let go of me. I turned around to face her and get an idea how she was doing. She could have been crying and I wouldn't have noticed it at all in my misery but, now that I was feeling a little better, I decided to check on her. Due to the heavy rain that was still falling, although the intensity appeared to have peaked a while ago already, it was impossible to tell whether or not her eyes were leaking tears or not. I had to wait for a lightning flash before I could tell that, for the first time since seeing her parents die, she didn't wear that trance-like gaze on her adorable face.

"Are… you okay?"

"**Hm…" **To my utter surprise, Takari nodded quite clearly. _Her shock seems to be wearing off!_

"**We should say goodbye…"** Suddenly, I felt fresh tears shoot into my eyes, mingling with the rain washing all over my body. Takari looked at me sadly as she said these words, the first words ever since the attack. I was likewise glad that she was recovering somewhat and shocked that she had spoken up. Quickly, I nodded, swallowing a weak sob as I turned towards the group of skeletons, partly submerged in waters that reached up to half our knees. My siblings were no longer part of my life. All too often they'd be a nuisance I'd rather chase away but, right now, I couldn't wish for anything else but for them to be alive and well and not a pile of bones and half-eaten corpses. I stared into the darkness waiting for lightning to illuminate them and get a last good look at everyone although none of them looked anything like how I remembered them. It was heart-crushing and I couldn't bring myself to let go even though I knew that I had to. Eventually, I managed to say a few words.

"I will... miss you. Good-goodbye…" My voice broke off and I began to feel more miserable than I ever felt in my life. Being down with the stomach disease was nothing in comparison, or getting the tip of your tail bitten off (not that I can remember it). It felt miserable from the deepest within and spread through my entire body, from my crest to the (slightly shortened) tip of my tail. Without a word, I turned away from the scene and walked away. I didn't even check if Takari was following me but the girl soon appeared at my side, looking just as miserable as I was feeling myself.

"**At least… your parents… they might be…"** She broke off as if her voice had suddenly disappeared, wiping her face as if removing tears though it was as pointless as trying to revive the dead due to the pouring rain.

"I don't think they are to be honest," I said without thinking, quickly correcting myself when I realized that my comment didn't have a clear meaning. "My-my parents, I mean…"

"**Hmm…"** Takari hummed sadly. I was reminding her of her own loss which, given the assault we had witnessed, was as good as confirmed, and immediately felt bad about it. Yet, no words could ever make things better for her in this situation so I quickly decided not to dwell on it and move on.

"I mean… where to hide from fastbiters if you're a grown-up? It's probably impossible…" I said in frustration, realizing that, in spite of our smaller size, it was also difficult for us to remain unseen and unnoticed.

"**Hmm…" **Takari hummed again though I couldn't really tell what it was supposed to mean, only that she was feeling down.

"Still… let's see if we can find them…"

I had a general idea where to look but it was getting more difficult to see. The storm had passed, the lightning too far away to provide enough light to spot anything. The water on the ground was retreating quickly and the rain soon stopped entirely. Takari was walking by my side, however her head was hanging and her big feet slurping across the wet grass. There was no doubt that she was feeling bad but it was no different for me to be honest. Even though the rain had stopped, my face wouldn't dry and I was full of dread that my siblings weren't the only dinosaurs I'd have to say goodbye to.

My first thought was to look at my nest. We went around the lake and, luckily, didn't have any further encounters with corpses or fastbiters for that matter. It was a quiet trek and an eerie one at that until the clouds lifted and the Night Circle broke through to guide us through the darkness. The first thing that my eyes fell on was the very familiar set of trees and bushes that were growing near the nest which meant it was nearby. The second thing they recognized, however, made my heart sink to ground level.

_Fastbiters… _A little distance from our position, well over a dozen fastbiters were sprawled across the floor, quite apparently sleeping but I still threw myself to the ground, pulling Takari with me. I couldn't take any risks and no knowledge was important enough to die for it. I continued by crawling on all fours, disappearing in the high grass, Takari following my example. Progress was slow but, after a little while, my nest came into sight. It was empty but that didn't mean anything. My parents would have likely fled the scene or tried to go to the other side of the lake when the commotion broke out. It was kinda impossible to look everywhere in the valley though; I needed an idea… _a vantage point. _

"I'm going to climb a tree, Takari." I said with little enthusiasm as I gestured to the girl. "Stay low and don't move, I just want to try getting a better picture from up there…"

**"Hm," **Takari replied, seating herself in the wet grass. I didn't look like it but I was actually quite good at climbing trees, a skill that had proved to be useful in the past but, unfortunately, Takari had learned it just as quickly, rendering my skill useless in our competitions. _But now it would come into handy!_ Without trouble, I climbed as high as I could. The Night Circle was continuing to shine on a now cloudless sky so my vision was fairly good. I took another glimpse of the sleeping horde of fastbiters. "_These likely aren't going to be a problem if we're quiet enough to stay unnoticed…" _I analyzed from my perch on the tree, casting my gaze in random directions in order to get a better idea of what may have happened on this side of the lake. The ground wasn't dotted with corpses here but I had a bad feeling about it so I kept looking out into the grassy fields from above. I even gazed towards the beach. _Wait a second… _It was far from my position so I couldn't confirm it but just shy of the sandy beach, I saw something that looked like a body. _Actually, it looks like several bodies… _For a moment, I simply stood there with a blank expression gazing emptily into the distance. _It can't be helped… I have to check… _

"Takari, let's go to the beach," I told her in a dreadful voice that she didn't miss after I safely returned to ground level.

**"See… something?" **the girl wondered and I quickly nodded in response, adding with a dark voice.

"There were bodies; I can't tell if they were sleeping or… " There was absolutely no need to elaborate what both of us were fearing so, without another word, we started moving quietly towards the beach.

It took us about 10 minutes to get to the bodies I had spotted. We didn't have to get close to realize what we had been fearing.

**"They're all… dead…" **

I looked at Takari and saw tears in her eyes.

**"Everyone is… they're all… DEAD!" **

I could only gawk aimlessly into the distance. There was no doubt that Takari was right. The majority of the herd had been slaughtered at the big lake and the remaining adults lay here on the ground, cold and unmoving, their silhouettes in the moonlight looking surreal as parts of their bodies had been devoured. _Which means my parents have been killed as well…_

"We're the only ones left," I said in a shaky voice and I knew that whenever we're back in the cave, a knot in my chest would burst violently but, right now, the fastbiters were too close to allow myself to cry. It was eerily silent in the valley, not even the Big Water making a lot of noise as the surf had calmed after the storm.

"_Mama, Papa… goodbye…" _For a while, I simply stood there with my slightly wet eyes closed. Takari seemed to know what I was doing as she joined me while quietly sobbing. I didn't want to go; I didn't even know which one of the corpses belonged to my parents. _I didn't want to know… _Soon, the air was getting too heavy to stand it.

"Let's-let's go…" Our eyes met for a brief moment, one more sorrowful than the other. "Let's say farewell to your parents too…" I kind of figured that Takari might want to say goodbye to her parents as well so I lead her there when she made no attempts to stop me.

As soon as we reached their badly mutilated bodies, Takari couldn't hold it in anymore. Crying severely, she walked up to the corpses of her parents, hugging what was still left of them for some time before I carefully asked her to take her leave lest the fastbiters found us.

"Come on, Takari, let's go already…"

But Takari wouldn't listen to me…

* * *

I ended up narrating much of this part of the story myself, Takari being unusually mellow. None of the children have interrupted as they're probably too shocked by the cruelties Takari and I have been exposed to.

**"That's just so mad…" **Raver eventually says when I didn't continue to tell the story.

**"Did you really lose your entire family?" **Emi asks me with a tearful gaze. **"And your en-ti-re herd?!" **Sadly, both Takari and I reply with a nod. **"We-we'll be family now, right?" **

Indeed, we would be family from now on so I'm giving her a gentle pat on the head.

"I'm really happy that we can start over though," I explain calmly as a slight smile creeps up my beak. "We may have lost everything but life goes on. This is a new chance and I'm glad we were able to survive to see it happen and your support means a lot, thanks you guys!"

"**Yeah, we never thought that we would ever be part of a family ever again, thank you," **Takari adds with a small smile.

**"Welcome to the family," **Beakles speaks up with an almost formal gesture. He is definitely the most decent of the bunch.

**"Don't mention it, you guys've had it hard enough already." **I look at Raver in surprise as I didn't think of him as a considerate kid until now.

**"Raver never pities anyone, you guys are having a lot of luck," **Zekir explains quietly and promptly receives the obvious backlash.

**"Shut up, idiot!" **

I conclude that Raver and Zekir don't get along very well.

**"I'm really happy, you know, because I always wanted to have an older brother or sister," **Emi beams with a kind smile. **"It's going to be great!" **

"I'm sure of it!" I agree, making a thumbs up gesture. "Anyway, should we continue?"

**"Yeah, I still don't really get how you get over this stuff," **Raver says with a slight grunt, looking expectantly at me which I take as a cue to resume.

**"But though we learned that even losing everything isn't the end, it… took us a while to realize…"**

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**Hey guys, I'm back with another update of this story! I'll be uploading two chapters at once today and I have a deadline creeping up on me *shudders***

**After a rather humorous start, the story takes a dramatic turn with this chapter. Takari and Nishir lose their entire family! At the same time, their new siblings got names and an actual character now. This is a development that occurred to me spontaneously and it'll spawn a small side story accommodating the main story :)**

**What did you think? Did I manage to portray their emotions in a believable and realistic manner? Was the part of them wandering through their home at night rushed or dragged too long? Let me know please and thanks for your amazing support! :D**

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Keijo6 chapter 3 . Dec 29, 2019

This chapter continued the story quite naturally after the duo's introduction and it was written decently. It was pretty nice to see another example of the two friends' normal days as it solidified and built their relationship even more. Especially Takari's somewhat genuine moments showed that she's not merely a bully even if Nishir still doesn't seem quite happy with her antics. It is still rather awkward for me to read her dialogue as I certainly wouldn't want to be anywhere near her but you made her at least a bit more bearable here.

The events portrayed here were rather simple and straightforward and there's not really much to be said about that. I guess you were referring at least partially to me when you mentioned those who aren't fans of this kind of storytelling and you weren't really mistaken. Still, I appreciate a good foundation to a story so I trust that additional characterizations to the two swimmers will be useful in the long run. As for the ending, it seems like Takari and Nishir are up to an unsavory encounter which very probably results in a major plot twist. In any case, you have my attention with this fic.

**Indeed, I was referring to you among other but I am honestly very surprised about your feedback which is positive regardless. Thank you very much! I'm really eager to hear your opinion on the new developments :)**

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Anagnos chapter 3 . Dec 31, 2019

This chapter explored more of the relationship between Takari and Nishir and I must say that I found this part to be very well done with minor references to their rather special bond between each other when the former continues her awkward teasing. The interactions between them were done rather well and the things they discussed during the chapter were rather curious little details added into the narrative. Moreover, the revelation about Takari's inability to sleep alone was a heartfelt moment that managed to present her in a more intriguing manner that makes the reader feel sympathetic towards her.

Truth be told, initially I was under the impression that Takari was simply a bully trying to receive a reaction from Nishir that she'd find humorous. This fact is reinforced when she openly admits the fact that she finds it very amusing to make fun of him. However, her confession later on shows that while she may be a bit of a bully occasionally, she is trying to become a better friend which managed to show exactly how their current relationship actually works and what would eventually be molded into a closer bond between them. I also found it to be hilarious that Nishir is trying hard to suppress his disdain for her antics while simultaneously finding her actions rather sweet.

Like Sovereign already said, while there may have not been much action in this chapter, it might ultimately work in favor as this is but the foundation of the greater story that is still yet to come. Although, I am highly interested by what will happen in the next chapter as the closing statement seems to hint of a possibilty that something sinister will happen sooner or later. This will be an interesting development to follow for sure even without much context what this mysterious figure is and could potentially change the entire structure of the story thus far. I will be looking forward to how you will tackle these events in the following chapters. :)

**Thank you very much! I'm really glad you liked the chapter and narrative between our two main characters. I also think their dynamic is really interesting and I'm sure that bond you speak of may be forming eventually. :) But first, they have to battle the sinister obstacles life is throwing at them and who knows how they'll handle these hardships... I'm eager to hear what you think about the new developments :)**

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The Rhombuschapter 3 .Dec 31, 2019

I quite like how this chapter allowed us to see more of the Takari and Nishir relationship. Though there is something to be said about having a story immediately jump into the action, I think that allowing the readers to get a good feel for the characters and their relationships is a better first step even if it slows down the narrative. In particular I like how this chapter allowed us to get a more nuanced view of Takari's personality. We now see that her recklessness and assertiveness is combined with a sympathetic side, which makes her much more well-rounded and interesting as a character. Though the humorous mismatch of personalities between the two main characters is still on display, which adds much to personality of the story. :)

Though not much in terms of major plot developments happened in this chapter (with the exception of a hint of something to come) I quite enjoyed the chapter nonetheless. A good story requires a good foundation, and we are certainly seeing the laying of the foundation here. :)

**I'm really happy that you think so too, thank you rhombus :D **

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Guest chapter 3 . Jan 1

This chapter shows that Nishir has quite a flair for the dramatic. Although he describes Takari as a bully in both chapters, and how her teasing embarrasses him, none of her games are performed with malicious intent. While he claims otherwise, this mutual enjoyment of their games is even backed up by Nishir's dialogue when he says losing Takari would be bad. Furthermore, all of the descriptors Nashir used for her at the beginning had a positive connotation. If she was truly as horrible as he told himself I'd imagine he'd think of her in a more negative light and want her gone rather than valuing their status quo enough to tell her that he wants her to stay.

Despite all of his talk, this chapter shows that their relationship is far more complex than its outward appearance. Takari saying it'd be fun to be in a family with him also alludes to her having deeper feelings as well. The rivalry between these two is more than likely just a facade to help them deal with new emotions brought on by adolescence and, since Takari is always one step ahead of Nishir, I think she might be trying to use these games to make him accept his emotions rather than rejecting them. Unlike the shouting matches between Littlefoot and Cera that occasionally become physical fights, despite them being friends, Nishir and Takari's competition has potential to develop into a stable relationship depending on what happens to these swimmers.

It will be interesting to see how Nishir and Takari's friendship develops over the course of this story. I'm impressed how you managed to create complex characters with deeper motivations and a unique dynamic in only the first few chapters. Excellent work Evil Swimmer.

**Aww, you're flattering me with your praise *blushes***

**Indeed, their relationship isn't simple and you've nailed it down in your review quite well. Though, whether their relationship develops further now depends on how they're going to deal with the sudden events of this chapter...**

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OwlsCantReadchapter 3 .Jan 8

Perhaps the funniest part about Nishir's antics is how much of his thoughts is being suppressed and how he often says something completely different than what is on his mind. Usually I would never go this in depth into a character's introspective thoughts and thus I had my apprehension about the italics and bold formatting choice, but I see why it's needed now - Nishir's thoughts often contradict his words.

The mutual pining (and refusal to broach the subject directly) between Nishir and Takari is very thrilling to read, and in a way I think Nishir is being willfully ignorant and actively denying what his heart is telling him when Takari hints heavily to him that there is a reason he is her favorite target: "a family with you would be loads of fun", "figure out who I'll take with me", and "if I want you to like me" come to mind. In a way, you nailed the tenuous yet heartwarming friendship between the two very well, and it's probably the best part of the story.

But other than that, I do enjoy how down-to-earth Takari is in this chapter while still retaining her core personality traits. It really sells why Nishir still maintains his friendship with her despite his love-hate relationship and crush on Takari. It will be interesting to see how the status quo will shift as time goes on. :)

**Thank you very much, Owls :)**

**Your analysis of their characters and interactions and possible developments is strikingly accurate and I'm glad I was able to write two characters that are fun and engaging to read about. A reader would naturally care about what happens to such a character and I'm curious what you'll think now that the story has shifted from comedy to tragedy... :)**

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**As I said, I'm uploading chapter 4 as well today which focusses on the aftermath and the emotional impact the events of chapter 3 have on Nishir and Takari :)**


	5. Chapter 4 - On the precipice of giving u

**Chapter 4: ****On the precipice of giving up **

**"**Takari, at this rate the sharpteeth will find us!"

I was still trying to get the girl to move but, I suppose, seeing her parents so unrecognizable and mutilated made something snap inside her. The worst part of it was that I understood. I felt no different; I wanted to cry, wanted to scream my agony into the night sky but a small part of me remained functional for now, prompting me to prioritize our survival. We were making noise and that was about the worst thing we could be doing. We had to get back to the caverns quickly!

"Takari!" I cried with an urging tone in my voice but, if it even registered, the girl ignored me and continued to cry into the wet grass. I had to get her out of there, that much was a given. _But how? Should I just carry her back? I mean… NO, this is NOT the time to get the old embarrassment thing! I'll do it if I have to; she's all I have left! I can't let her get eaten!"_

"Oh boy, to think I'd ever end up doing this…" I sighed before I pulled the girl up from the floor onto her shaking feet where she continued to sob uncontrollably.

"Hold on to me, I-I'll carry you if I must!" Takari looked at me for the briefest of moments with what looked like an expression of surprise, however misplaced it looked in combination with her tear-stained face before she clung her hands around my neck, allowing me to carry her back to the cavern…

* * *

**"That was actually really embarrassing, you know?" **

Takari has interrupted me with a smile that's hard to read for it seems to have more than one layer of emotion behind it.

"L-likewise…" I shudder in response which prompted a small laugh in the girl and some giggles in our audience. "You were heavy too!"

**"Are you implying that I am too heavy?" **Takari tilts her head in a manner that could only mean I have stepped into one of her "Let's tease Nishir traps" and now there is no escape from it once caught in it.

"Why of course not, you look closer to starving than that!" I yell at her in my defense. The signs of our journey are still showing on our bodies.

**"Are you trying to insult me or are you actually decent enough to worry about me? Gee I wonder…" **

"It's a bit of both, geez!" I cry in annoyance, giving the girl a meaningful glare. "And here I thought you had finally mellowed, it's just another hoax, isn't it?"

That stifled some laughter though I'm not going to be part of it.

"A-anyways! I'm trying to talk about some sad stuff right now so gimme a break, Takari!" That seems to have reached her as she quickly becomes quiet again, allowing me to continue.

* * *

The next few days had been the hardest time of my life. Between not being used to sleeping away from the nest I was so familiar with and spending much of my time in a dark place, I felt so terrible that I couldn't even compare it to any hardship I had already faced (and that included a lot of Takari-induced catastrophes, mind you). The darkness around me matched the darkness that had taken hold of my very being. After a few days, even crying felt pointless and yet I would catch myself over and over again sobbing for hours at a time. I spent entire days in a corner of the cavern, just sitting there for hours and suffocating in the sea of my emotions, sadness, loneliness and wrath engulfing my very existence. One day, I even couldn't be bothered to sneak out at night to eat and Takari hadn't eaten a thing since it happened. The girl had been hiding in a different room of the cavern ever since and, somehow, both of us had been quite fine with it as neither of us had to hold back whenever we let our sadness be heard. Deep inside, I knew I had to take care of her since she had mostly fallen back into the trance-like state she had initially developed already but where could I take the energy from? The mere thought that my family was no more drained everything from me, leaving only an empty hull, a mere shadow of my former self. Even though I was so lonely that the emotion alone was painful enough to cause physical chest pains, I was rendered incapable of speaking to Takari, not to mention that her state of dream-like trance also meant that any conversation would be one-sided anyhow.

Suddenly, the sound of screaming echoed through the cavern, followed by a sharp cry that quickly evolved into violent wails. _Takari, no doubt… _I felt tears of my own ooze out of my eyes immediately and I didn't try to stop it. Takari had spent most of the time in the aforementioned trance but, occasionally - and I was taking a guess here, she would get startled by a scary sleep story and then this would happen for a good while but, soon enough, after crying for some time, she'd always go back to being completely unresponsive. It was heartbreaking but I was too heartbroken myself to take action. I was craving some company yet I isolated myself. I knew that Takari might improve if I went over to the room she had picked for herself but I was too selfish to do so, fearing that doing so would just break my unstable composure for good.

_"But I have to check on her…" _

My brain continuously tried to tell me that and I knew that I should listen to this particular gut feeling. _And yet I wasn't… _

**"Mommy, Daddy!" **

More tears fell from my eyes as Takari let out more screams, hauntingly full of sorrow and despair. _Darn it, don't make me cry again, I've had enough of it! _Her sounds of extreme crying continued wafting through the darkness and I couldn't help but sink to my knees as my own sorrow overcame me, brutal like a rough sea with waves of sadness tossing me around at will. _Mum, Dad and my siblings, all… gone. Gone gone gone… I feel so terrible, I want Mum to cradle me until I don't feel sad anymore but… she's GONE! _

A sudden burst of wrath mixed into my crying. I was suddenly up on my feet, panting heavily as I screamed it all away.

"Darn fastbiters, how could you do this to my family?! How could you do this to me and Takari!? You can rot in the driest desert for all I care!" For a moment, I simply gave in to my meltdown and allowed it to happen until the worst of it had passed. Gradually, I regained some level of control over my body though Takari was still crying loudly in the distance, preventing me from calming down entirely as it was like an always present reminder that something terrible had happened.

_Oh stop crying already, I've so had enough!_ But she wouldn't stop, no matter how long I prayed for it. I knew that I had to go to her, knew that some company might have a positive impact on her - and on me as well! Yet, I still remained where I was, sad and indecisive. _DARN IT, why am I still hesitating!? _Of course, I knew. Deep inside, I knew that, even in this dire situation, I was still embarrassed about certain things and Takari seeing me with my eyes all reddened and swollen from crying was one such thing. Seeing Takari crying in such pity was another thing I never wanted to see. Despite everything, I adored her in certain ways and I wanted to make things better but I'd have to see her in this misery. I just didn't want to. I didn't want to see her so miserable and vulnerable, I wanted Takari to be the strong and annoying dinosaur she had always been. As much as I had suffered under her ridicule, it was also the most endearing part of her character in many ways so seeing her so weak didn't sit well with me. Additionally, I didn't want to cry anymore but her cries and sobs were very contagious. _Such a vicious circle but, one way or another, I'm losing. Maybe I should just go? There's no way I'll get teased, she's too broken to talk! I need to go, she might even listen to me when she's like this if I try really hard… _Yeah, there was no way around it. I had to go. It was almost late enough to sneak out for a bit of food anyway so I, reluctantly, started walking towards Takari's cave which was a little further ahead.

* * *

**"I barely remember those days," **Takari speaks up but, mostly, she is leaving the storytelling entirely to me, much to my surprise. It seems, despite Takari being better at captivating the children's attention, it is mostly me doing the talking, not that I am complaining about it.

**"It was like a very long dream. Sometimes I'd wake up for a while, feeling crushed by the loss of my family, crying until I slipped back into the dream. It wasn't pretty." **

"No, it wasn't indeed…" I sigh rather profoundly. "The worst was feeling so hopeless for many days. My family gone, my best friend a wreck and my home full of hostile fastbiters. Honestly, I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't decided to go investigate on that day we finally talked about things… "

**"Ah yes, I was actually really happy when you came over to say a few nice words."**

Takari gives me a profound smile devoid of any hidden ambitions so I smile at her in the same fashion.

"We were only able to find new hope after we learned to depend on one another…"

* * *

I had checked on Takari whenever I could muster the strength but those occasions had quickly gotten less and less when I learned about the severe trauma that she was suffering from and my inability to reach out to her. Aside from making sure she got to drink at least once a day, I hadn't been doing anything to help her as my own suffering was eating me up entirely. When I was entering the small chamber which was about a stone throw's worth of a walk from mine, which held the lake, I was worried that, once more, Takari wouldn't react to me but, to my surprise, she yelled my name rather desperately once I made my presence known.

"Takari?"

**"Nishiiiiiir… "**

The girl was curled up in the furthest corner her little, dark cave offered, crying like a little hatchling. I immediately walked over to her.

"Oh Takari…" I sighed when my gaze fell upon her miserable form. "I'm not sure what's harder to bear… The loss of-of my family (I felt fresh tears emerge from my eyes), losing our home (I wiped them away but even more were oozing out), you hiding here without ever talking to me (the first tears fell onto my chest and I had to suppress a choke) or you… crying so… severely, being so hurt and broken that I start to feel broken too!" I stepped a little closer to the girl while trying to suppress the urge to cry but it was impossible. It was as if Takari had a key to open a door in my heart, allowing me to let my emotions reign over my body which I was otherwise restricting and fighting. Feeling terrible, I sat down somewhat close to her and immediately collapsed against the cold wall.

"Why did this have to happen?!" I bawled as my face disappeared under my arms, my body rocking with every sob. "Why did these ***sob* **fastbiters ***sob* **kill them?! Why did they kill my family and yours too?! Why did they kill the entire herd?! IT'S NOT FAIR!" I screamed the last part as rage once again welled up in me which usually coincided with the peak of my crying before only sadness remained and I'd gradually become mellow. And it was no different now.

"It's not… fair…"

Suddenly, Takari went through some sort of jerk, judging by the sound of it and, before I knew it, something was half falling, half leaping onto me and clutching her tear-stained fingers around my back.

Takari was hugging me but that wasn't everything surprising about the situation.

**"I know, right?!" **

…she also talked and communicated to me what was going through her mind.

**"It's so hard; I don't know what to do anymore… NI-NISHIR… I MISS MY PARENTS SO MUCH! I don't know what to do; I can't stop crying. We've lost everything, what should we do? Help me…" **

Her wet cheeks dug into my chest and, despite my own sadness, my heart was beating unnaturally fast. I suddenly felt really guilty about it but I had no control over such bodily functions and reactions. Takari's words hit very close as they expressed just what I was thinking about myself. The girl was wailing louder than ever, gripping onto me so tightly that it hurt but I had no heart to do something about it. Takari was suffering and although it likely didn't really matter, I was helping her by just being with her. Slowly, I was able to beat my awkwardness, allowing her to cry into my chest, soon joining her again as it triggered my own feelings of sorrow.

I don't know how long we spent together like that, huddled together in a corner of the dark cavern while sharing our mutual pain. I couldn't even tell whether or not I had dozed off at some point but, eventually, I gradually became aware of my surroundings again. Takari was resting against me and there was no telling whether she was crying (silently), sleeping or whether she had fallen back into the trance-like state.

"Takari?" I hummed quietly in an attempt to get her attention without waking her in case she was really asleep. However, it became clear immediately that she was quite awake.

**"Hm…" **

Not really an answer but she wasn't caught in the trance at least.

"Feeling uhm… better?" I asked in a meek voice, feeling slightly uncomfortable about the lack of distance between the two of us now.

**"Not really… maybe a little less terrible but it still feels like something is tearing me apart deep deep down…"**

I could relate as my feelings of loss took a very similar shape in my guts.

"I know, I can feel the pain as well… " Takari rearranged the way her head was resting on me while choking somewhat but didn't reply.

"But it can't be helped… this is what we are dealing with now and, no matter what we do, things won't change… they are not coming back. We won't see them ever again, that's our harsh reality… It's infuriating, isn't it?" I felt Takari's head nod against my chest, a quiet sob escaping her beak. It was amazing how much she had changed due to the loss of her parents and I had probably changed even more. The girl who used to laugh at me and bully me around out of pleasure was a wreck now, a wreck that seemed so fragile now that I was afraid she would break apart into little pieces if I let go of her.. The girl hadn't eaten and she wouldn't have been drinking without me dragging her to the lake each night either. Since Takari appeared to be rather responsive for once, an idea eventually formed in my mind as I remembered (or more like, my stomach reminded me kindly) that I wanted to sneak out for a midnight snack.

"Hey, Takari, want to go outside to eat? You haven't been eating at all lately and it's not going to end well if you keep it up for much longer…"

**"No!"** Quite a definite answer this time but why would she refuse?

"Why? Aren't you hungry?! Are you afraid? I'm definitely going with you, there's no need to worry."

**"I want to sleep… " **she sobbed quietly. **"So don't go…" **

_That's right, she even said a while ago that she couldn't sleep alone… but then… _

"You can't sleep on your own, that's what you told me a while back…" I prompted her with a slight look of confusion. It felt like it had been ages since Takari and I were goofing around like nothing in the world was wrong. "Then why did you hide in this super dark place instead of staying with me at the cavern with the lake and light? Were you able to sleep at all?!"

"**I don't… remember," **the girl said quietly, her tears making my belly uncomfortably moist. **"I don't remember anything… Only… sadness and-and feeling so lonely!" **

"Then why didn't you say so?" I insisted. "I thought you were ignoring me so I mostly left you alone… I was feeling lonely too, you know?"

**"It matters little whether you're here or not, Nishir, this is a kind of emotion that you can't fix unless you bring my parents back!" **I could feel her knuckles as her fingers clenched in response to the pain she was obviously going through after uttering these excruciating words. " **But still… don't go away from me now…" **she insisted, squeezing my ribs a little too much but I didn't dare to do something about it.

"I'm really hungry but I'm not going until you fall asleep, okay?" I responded in an attempt to make sure that she didn't start crying again but it only worked a little bit.

**"O-O-okay… " **the girl sobbed. I had to wait until she was sound asleep but I didn't really want to wait for so long in this rather depressing company. My stomach was growling and I needed to relief myself. _But how do I make her fall asleep? _I didn't really know to be frank. I knew my mum would gently cradle me whenever I was having trouble falling asleep (the thought stung quite sharply in my chest) but that only worked because she's so much larger, right? _Because she was so much larger… _A tear fell from my eyes but I had already cried too much to break back into it yet again. Takari was still clinging on me but when I cast a look at her, I began to realize that the pose she was taking couldn't possibly be comfortable for sleeping. _She has to lie down instead of half sitting and half lying on top of me… _

"Taka… ri?" I offered as an idea formed in my head no matter how embarrassing it was. "Would-would you like to lie down a-and rest your head o-on my lap? I-it should be more comfortable!" I felt blood rush to my cheeks but that didn't matter now. My feelings of embarrassment were but a mild annoyance compared to everything else we were dealing with and I knew that I had to do what had to be done now no matter how much I despised or fretted about doing so. We were on our own and we had to survive, that was what mattered now, not some childish crap about girls being too embarrassing a thing to even touch them. It would take a while to get rid of this sort of thinking, but, for now, at least I was able to spend Takari some well needed company without snapping from my racing heart. _And come to think of it, it doesn't feel too bad when she gets this close to me. If I can get rid of this awkwardness between us, I might even be able to enjoy it one day… _

Meanwhile, Takari had gradually weakened her grip onto my body until she groggily allowed her head to slip into my lap where she nodded off within moments. My heart was pounding hard and I didn't dare getting up, afraid she'd wake up and cry again so I remained in this position for a while. It was too dark to see much but I began to imagine how peaceful Takari must be looking just about now. The thought even made the corners of my mouth twitch a little, almost as if, for a second, they were trying to form a smile. I had always tried to deny the fact that I liked Takari but, right now, I just couldn't dismiss my feelings. Perhaps because she was the only one left but probably much rather because I wasn't suppressing my emotions at that moment, I felt really appreciative and, almost subconsciously, one of my hands began gently stroking Takari's back. By the time I began to realize what I was actually doing, I was already content with it and I had no urgent desire to quit. I was touching her on my free will and it didn't kill me. Still, I stopped stroking her soon. I was hungry and I was certain by now that the girl was sound asleep so I decided to take the trip to the dangerous outside world at last. Getting up without waking Takari up proved to be somewhat of a struggle but the girl didn't stir when I held her head while getting to my feet and then gently put it down on the ground.

"See you later, Takari," I whispered before I left the cavern and headed for the exit.

* * *

**"I was really happy when you did that, you know?" **

Takari sends a sweet smile in my direction, catching me off guard.

**"You can be quite decent if you want to, Nishir." **

"Now what's _that_ s'pposed to mean?"

**"Nothing, really." **

My deadpan expression must be the reason why she suddenly starts to giggle.

**"Don't mind me, just keep on telling the tale."**

Well, I suppose I should listen to her lest I end up with worse than being the subject of a giggle…

* * *

The night was unnaturally calm and the Night Circle was shining from a sky that notoriously lacked Sky Puffies. It was one of the few nights that went by without a drop of rain falling into our beautiful valley. I ate from the nearby trees but, for some reason, the leaves left me with a sour taste that night and I ended up finishing up my meal prematurely.

_Do we want to keep living like this? Locked away in these caverns full of darkness and locked out of this place that reeks so much of death and despair, loss and depression? Do we really want to keep living this sad life? We'll never be safe here; this valley will never be home again. Because home is… home is where your loved ones are, home is where you feel at peace, home is where you're safe and happy. There ain't no happiness left in this valley…_

Filled with resignation, I walked around to gather some food for Takari. The girl had to eat, whether she wanted to eat or not. I had lost too many loved ones to allow her to walk the same stairs everyone else had already walked. I had to make sure that Takari survived, even if she was too devastated to see to her survival herself. Dying was simply the worst way to thank our parents. Were they cheering us on? Were they watching us struggle and cry? I didn't know… I didn't know but if they were I would rather not disappoint them. I had to carry on somehow and I knew that now. It was hard, it hurt a lot. I felt like crying, felt like screaming in rage but I knew now that things wouldn't get better this way. At best, it was a short relief but it didn't remove the source of our sadness which was our inability to get over the losses we suffered. Being idle wouldn't help us, I had to do something…

...but I didn't know yet what exactly it was that I had to do. A little relinquished, I eventually returned to the cavern. Takari was sleeping peacefully when I brought her the pile of leaves that I had gathered. I was tired too as it was the middle of the night so I settled down a little distance from the sleeping girl, far enough to be comfortable but near enough to feel her presence.

Falling asleep was easy that night.

* * *

The next three days went by without any major events. Takari and I were sharing the cavern with the small lake now but things had hardly changed. Rather, what had appeared to be a good development had quickly swung into regression and resignation. Even though we now spent our time in the same cavern, we didn't really talk about anything, spending most of our time being depressed and downcast, keeping our distance just like we used to except for the few instances when Takari jerked awake from a nightmare in which case she always cried a lot. On the bright side of things, Takari had started to eat again and began to look less weak and, more importantly, she hadn't had any trances anymore but still, things were about as far from 'alright' as I could possibly picture them.

It took three days in this state of limbo until something noteworthy happened at last, breaking our mere coexistence. I was brooding over something after an early wake-up when Takari disrupted my fruitless thinking. With a scream that resounded from the massive walls of rock, she suddenly sat upright, panting as if she had just barely escaped from a very nasty predator. I was already mentally prepared to sit next to her until she'd become mellow but the storm I was expecting didn't develop quite in the way I had forecasted. For a moment, it seemed like Takari would collapse, start crying like she usually would. Our gazes met. There were so many strong emotions that I failed to pinpoint them all. Her lids closed a little as if cramping and her eyes turned wet. She looked extremely sad and broken but, suddenly, her brows lowered dangerously and her entire face distorted itself as a desperate scream escaped the girl's throat.

**"Aaaahhh, I can't stand it anymore!" **Her sadness hadn't left Takari, however she suddenly began to look and act as if in a deep state of lively anger which appeared to overwhelm the bottomless sadness in her heart, if just momentarily. While I didn't know the exact cause of this unusual meltdown, I could understand, I could relate. _Didn't I feel the same?_ Carefully, I approached the shaking girl.

"Talk to me about it, Takari, don't bottle it up. What's upsetting you?" Naturally, there wasn't that much to consider. In some shape, her emotions were certainly related to the loss both of us had to deal with. The mere thought gave rise to my very personal anger too; it was truly infuriating to be stuck in the current situation and I didn't want Takari to suffer any more than she already did.

**"I-it's not fair!" **

"What is?" I asked in a tired voice. Takari was giving my own emotions some shape as she began to rant ruthlessly.

**"Everything is!" **the girl cried, some tears beginning to flow but her wrath was considerably stronger than her depression. **"Why, Nishir, why? Why did these things have to happen?! Isn't there a thing we could have done to prevent this from happening?! Why are we suffering so much, hiding day after day in this gloomy cavern, crying and mourning, living in constant fear and unable to rest without seeing it all again in our sleep?! Why us?! I'm so SICK of it, I can't take this any longer… " **Takari's voice became more level as the fragile balance between wrath and sadness began to shift.

**"If all of this hadn't happened, I would be walking happily to your place about now, pondering how to make fun of you… I would feel my mum's warm embrace as she wakes me up too and have lots of fun with you all day… but mum and dad are dead, your parents and siblings are dead. We're both lonely and sad, we can't feel the warmth of our family anymore, we can't play and have fun anymore, we have no home anymore and could be eaten any day now…"** The balance had begun to lean towards sadness as tears now covered Takari's face entirely (and I felt my own vision blur too), however her rage wasn't gone yet, quite on the contrary.

**"Tell me, Nishir, did we deserve this?! I just can't accept it! I can't… can't accept it… " **As if turning a switch, her emotions did a full turn within a moment's notice. I could only stare stupidly at a point on the wall somewhere behind Takari, too stunned by these words which came from the deepest crevices of Takari's broken heart when her body sacked into a kneeling pose, heavy sobs rattling her in such a fast succession that she could hardly breathe in between. And even so, it didn't stop her rant in the slightest, although I only caught half of what she was saying from here on.

**"Nishiiiir… I c-c-can't live without my p-parents. I don't w-w-want to l-live s-such a s-s-sad life! I don't want to… All the time, Nishir, ALL THE TIME!" **I jerked slightly as rage surfaced in Takari once again only to dissipate into despairing sobs.

**"I've b-b-been t-thinking all this time… even though w-we survived, we're the only ones left. The others died in s-such a gruesome way - it must have hurt so m-m-much, and yet… and yet…" **Takari had been covering her face until now but, abruptly, she removed her arms, spraying me with her tears and clenching her fists. I was prepared this time when she snapped.

**"AND YET I WISH WE HAD BEEN KILLED TOO!" **My mouth hung agape. "**I can't stand this empty feeling in my chest anymore…"...**and once again she mellowed almost as suddenly as she had snapped. "**They may be dead now b-but… they're dead to-together… and we were left behind. I want to… want to be…" **She was weeping with such force now that she barely got a word out but, clearly, there was something left unsaid so I kept listening with a teary-eyed expression.

"**Ni-nishir… I w-w-want to g-g-go w-w-where my f-f-family is… h-h-help m-m-m-me..."**

Then, she collapsed entirely, no longer resisting her bottled up emotions as they all exploded from her chest, screaming in sorrow so extreme that it appeared to suffocate her. Takari had reached a breaking point, that much was certain. It took no genius to understand her final statement; she was so desperate, hurting so much that she was ready to go where the dead go just to escape the hardship of her current situation. Us swimmers didn't have a clear understanding of the afterlife. Some, particularly the elders, believed in a second world where the dead would live on after their demises, others were convinced about reincarnation while young folks tended to dismiss it as nonsense. My parents had never really spoken about it so I was unsure what to think and, of course, in her current state, asking Takari was out of question. Either way, it appeared that she believed in afterlife, expecting to see her loved ones again if she abandoned the world of the living.

"Oh Takari…" I sobbed as I took a seat next to her, one hand gently stroking her back no matter how useless it seemed against her extreme meltdown while the other shielded my leaking eyes. I was sad; I felt guilty. Perhaps Takari would feel a little better if I had been supporting her more than I did but my own suffering had made me rather distant and absent minded. Takari was feeling so hopeless that she couldn't even see any way out of this situation anymore. It made me depressed; it made me mad. There had to be something I could do. _Something… anything!_ Having me around wasn't enough for Takari to consider her life worthwhile.

And that was a line of thinking I had to change very soon if I didn't want to lose her too.

* * *

Time had never appeared to pass as slowly as when I was waiting for Takari's raving cries to subside. Just listening caused me physical pain but I also had to see it all unfold in its full tragedy. Takari was a wreck and I didn't know what to do. I had to come up with something… something to help Takari deal with her sorrow, something to help myself as well. It was excruciating. When, finally, no more sounds were escaping Takari's dry throat and the puddle her tears had created on the floor wasn't growing anymore, I finally deduced that it was safe to leave Takari for the time being. _I really need to do some serious brainstorming._ Things didn't work out the way they were; something had to change dramatically in our tragic lives or else the two of us would surely perish one way or another in a foreseeable future.

"Takari?" I spoke with a weak voice, trying and failing to gain the girl's attention. _She must be asleep or too exhausted from that burst of crying… _I couldn't really tell and I was too exhausted to investigate.

"I'll be back soon, I just need some fresh air to clear my head and think of something…" I spoke to her anyway, just in case she was listening. My gaze lingered on her for a while, a feeling of utter helplessness almost overwhelming me as I saw her curled up like a hatchling within its egg. She looked so broken that it triggered protective instincts within me I wasn't aware of until now. Without thinking, I kneeled down beside her and, for a short moment, wrapped my arms around her curled up body.

"Hang in there, Takari," I whispered before my embarrassment won over the pity I was feeling and quickly pulled back from her. "I'll figure something out, just hang in there!" I called before rushing off and leaving the girl behind.

A mistake I would regret very soon...

* * *

Very mixed faces are facing me as I take a short break from the story, casting a glance into the ranks of my listeners. Zekir and Beakles appear to be drawn into the story, eagerly waiting for me to tell them more about the story. Emi is moved to tears after hearing about Takari's pain and suffering, Takari giving her some headpats to console her and Raver is staring at me with an incredulous expression.

**"I thought things were going to get better for you guys and now you tell me Takari was losing her will to live?!" **the young boy is quite livid. Whoever this Greenie girl is, she must be really important to him to spawn such a reaction. **"Now what!? Stop confusing me and giving me false hope when things are just getting worse! Because… That's what happened to her too!" **

I notice Takari letting go of Emi whose sobs are slowly improving, turning her attention to the boy instead, her expression hard to read.

**"Sometimes, you have to walk through darkness to reach the light…" **It's obvious as daylight that the younger boy hasn't gotten the message so I decide to help out.

"I suppose I worded myself a little wrong earlier. While things did get better, at first they got dangerously bad. I suppose Greenie never went through this phase but Takari did and it's something I never ever want to see with my own eyes ever again…"

**"Horrible is a pretty strong word but it still only scratches the surface of how you're feeling, how much you're suffering, how badly wounded your heart is after losing so much… Raver, you have no idea what pains Greenie is going through and she's all alone with this pain if your report is accurate… it's… it's no wonder she's lost all hope, I did the same thing. Pathetic, isn't it?"**

Takari's speech has silenced the boy somewhat but that's only because he is brooding over something. I give him some time to respond. Takari has chosen her words well and I'm sure he will understand the message if we break it down to him.

**"Nishir, when you were in the situation back then, how the heck did you save Takari? You're right, I've never lost anyone, I don't know how it feels. Your story gives me a bit of an idea but it's as Takari said, probably just scratching the surface of things. But I want answers now; I want to visit her again and help her! So please, tell me what saved Takari from her depression!"**

I'm thoroughly impressed by Raver's speech, exchanging a glance with Takari.

"I suppose I can tell you now but we'll spoil the story for you guys if we do. You okay with that?"

"**I'd rather have Greenie listen to it herself!" **An intriguing idea. **"Maybe you could continue the story later and we go to the cave where she's hiding now and try our luck? I'm sure you two might be able to reach her… You've reached me after all…" **

Exchanging yet another glance with Takari, I nod in Raver's direction.

"I'm okay with that but how do the others think about it? Would you like to come along if we indeed visited this Greenie girl?"

**"I'd do **_**anything **_**for my sappy, love-struck brother," **Beakles taunts with a ferocity that is almost on-par with Takari's brutal skills in that field. I don't think Raver appreciated it, either way.

**"Shut that beak of yours or you'll be beak less, Beakles!" **

Ouch, that pun hurts a lot. What a nice comeback, I could take some lessons from Raver…

**"I'm fine with anything as long as you two aren't killing each other,"** Zekir sighs and rolls his eyes as the two boys were eyeing each other aggressively.

**"Of course I will join too!" **Emi exclaims, now recovered. **"I want to help Greenie too after all."**

"So do we," I confirm, nodding in Takari's direction. "Let's go, shall we?"

**"Yeah, you guys lead us there," **Takari calls excitedly, the sight of her being happy and well making me feel happy too. I had done the right thing after all and now I was finally able to reap the rewards of believing in her and believing in myself. Neither of us would be enjoying ourselves right now if I hadn't made a certain choice back then.

* * *

**Wow, this is a pretty depressing chapter xD**

**While Takari is reaching a breaking point in the past, things are beginning to get interesting in the present as well. What started as a mere random idea to give Raver some kind of backstory actually turns into a side story :P I'm just as curious where this story will take me as you probably are about the cliffhanger I left you with (gotta live up to my name, right? ^^) Let me know what you think and I'll eagerly await your thoughts and critique while working hard on squeezing out more chapters for this story :)**

(no review responses as I uploaded this with chapter 3 which holds all my responses already :))


	6. Chapter 5 - When a child decides to die

**Hello everyone, I finally have a new chapter ready for you but it is important that you do not skip this Author's Note. This chapter, especially its final scene is not for the faint of the heart. It is extremely dark and touches on the aspect of suicide. Please read this chapter with utmost caution, particularly if you are mentally unstable or if you have had suicidal thoughts before. ****I sincerely hope that no one is going to start associating with Takari here. If you are having suicidal thoughts, please talk to your friends, family or a therapist about it and call the suicide hotline. I hope this story, as it progresses, will also show why suicide is no solution. Thank you for understanding. Also, I've decided to change the rating of the story to "M"**

**Now that that's taken care of, here's the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: ****When a child decides to die**

Our new home is an island with a tall mountain on one side and a gently sloping forest on the other side. The kind family that took us in has their nests somewhat centrally near a small creek. The four little swimmers, lead by Raver who is the only one who knows where Greenie lives - or, rather, hides, take Takari and me through the tight jungle that grows in vast amounts on the island. We are walking for a while until the tall mountain, awfully looking like one of the smoking kind, at least in shape and size, comes into sight.

**"We've gotta climb for a bit, follow me, it's on the plateau above us." **Raver races ahead as the rest of us gives pursuit. I can tell that the boy is in high spirits, replenished with hope that his friend might not be lost to her depression after all. The climb is steep but no climbing is needed to trudge on. Slowly, I'm beginning to wonder what is expecting me. Due to the experiences I've made with Takari, I have a general idea of how to approach the girl, however there are a few obstacles that could complicate things. For starters, she doesn't know me and Raver hasn't been able to talk to her. Would she even listen to Takari and me? Moreover, she is younger than Takari - or at least that's what I'm assuming since children like Raver and his siblings are usually playing with kids similar in age. While Takari has some maturity, kids in that age group usually don't have enough maturity to fully understand the loss of a loved one. Either way, I am going to try my best as I've been stuck in this situation before. If there is anything I can do to help, then I will!

Shortly before reaching the plateau, Raver suddenly signals us to halt, suddenly giving off a very serious but also anxious aura.

**"You guys wait here, I'm going to see if she's still here." **

_Wait, he doesn't know? _

His siblings are already beginning to mutter among themselves, wondering if the walk has been for vain, however the boy returns very soon.

**"We're lucky; one of the elders looking after her is here right now but…" **He suddenly hesitates. "**She hasn't improved any since I last visited."**

"When did you visit her the last time?" I inquire curiously.

**"Hmmm, probably a little more than two full Night Circles ago…" **

_She's been in this state for so long then? What a poor child… _

**"You just abandoned her, in other words?" **Takari has a really rare look of disdain on her face. **"You didn't even try to get through to her? Is she even as important to you as you told us?" **

Raver's expression is an open book, the guilt basically written into his face.

**"I do care!" **he claims quite fiercely, however his words lack the hostility they carried whenever he had been arguing with his siblings. **"I do care about Greenie but… I don't know what to do. What would you do if you see someone who is important to you so down that they won't even react to anything, won't acknowledge your presence and don't talk to you? I honestly tried but, at some point, I just couldn't take it anymore… "**

My gaze rests on Raver as the child kicks a pebble in frustration. I know that frustration very well now though I used to be in a similar spot back when Takari was coping badly.

**"Nishir didn't give up on me!" **Takari suddenly shouts before abruptly toning down her voice to a whisper. **"I was so hopeless and yet he dragged me back into life. I didn't want to at first but now I'm just so glad that he stopped me before I got to the point of no return!" **

Which may be a point Greenie has reached. I nod appreciatively into Takari's direction before addressing Raver.

"You see, Raver - and this will probably explain itself once we can continue the story. I think Takari is right; you shouldn't have left her but I can understand your situation. You're still young; you didn't know what to say to help her. I didn't really know either to be honest. Maybe we can save her but don't blame yourself no matter what happens now."

I don't think Raver fully agrees with my words but, whatever he's thinking, he's keeping it to himself.

"Either way, will you introduce us?"

**"O-of course, follow me…" **

Raver leads us onto the rocky plateau. While taking a look at the surroundings, I come to realize that one can watch the setting of the Bright Circle quite nicely from up here as it is open towards the direction of the Bright Circle's evening position. And, likewise, I could imagine seeing the night lights quite nicely from up here, wondering if this was a criteria for Greenie to pick such a place to isolate herself. Raver is heading with uncertainty towards an opening in the rocky wall that rises scorched and steeply in front of us, signaling to follow him into its depths. Funny how both Takari and Greenie decided to hide in a cave, although in our case we kind of had to hide whereas Greenie is safe on this island.

Inside, we meet an elderly swimmer who is absentmindedly observing something that is deeper inside past my current eye's reach. Raver greets him with some formality which startles the old swimmer for a second.

**"My, I didn't expect any more visitors," **he says in a very elderly-like voice that reminds me a lot of how my gramps used to talk like before he was… Never mind that.

**"We're here to see her," **Raver explains quickly. **"She used to play with me a lot before it happened."**

**"Why, I certainly know that but who are they?" **I suddenly feel a gaze rest on my shoulders which could only mean that he is referring to Takari and me. I begin to wonder how to explain but Takari is quicker on the uptake.

**"We're new here. After we lost our families in a fastbiter attack, we were taken in by Raver's family and when we heard about Greenie…" **

"... We thought we should meet her. After all, we went through the same thing…" The elder scans both of us before he meets us with a kind smile.

**"It is them who have suffered the most who carry the greatest kindness. Maybe you might hold the key to the doors little Greenie has locked from the world around her. I wish you the best of luck in your attempt." **

The elder smiles warmly at us and, with a small bow, invites us to walk past him. Raver walks ahead at first but soon comes to a halt with little warning.

**"I haven't visited her in a long time; has there been any… improvement? Or is she still…" **Raver turns back towards the old swimmer whose expression turns serene the second the little boy asks.

**"Unfortunate as it may be, she is as detached from reality as one can possibly be." **A great sigh escapes the old dinosaur. **"She does not respond to any sensations. Even when a group of children snuck in to bully her, she would not respond to the mistreatment. She will hardly respond to her own needs and will only eat and drink when being provided and fed. Although, she will sometimes leave the cavern at night to look into the sky and cry before she goes to sleep. That is the current situation, I am afraid."**

I see Raver's expression darken and, upon hearing this sad report, I cannot help but feel discouraged. This is nowhere near what Takari has been acting like back then. Still, I feel like I at least should give it a try.

**"So she's still not doing any better… oh boy this sucks…" **Raver grunts in obvious frustration before he gets a hold of himself, slurping deeper inside which prompts the rest of us to follow quietly. The cavern isn't maze-like like the one at our old home but rather comfortably spacy, a broad path which could probably fit half a dozen adult swimmers walking side by side slowly curving to the right as it leads deeper within. The ceiling is elevated though maybe not quite enough for a longneck to stretch its neck to full height and, much to my surprise, both ceiling and walls were unnaturally smooth as if something had carved this tunnel out of the very mountain. Occasionally, there are features in the rock that almost look like droplets of water except they are solid grey rock. Since I have never seen such a thing, I am quite mesmerized by the sight. It doesn't change the fact though that there is a strange, heavy mood in the air, almost tangible. Everyone in our group is dreading the encounter in some shape, I suppose.

**"Eww, what's this smell?" **

Emi has spoken up while holding her hands in front of her nostrils to cover them. Curious, I draw my next breath entirely through my nose and immediately regret it. A distinct smell of excrement is suddenly filling the air, congesting our noses.

**"You didn't pass some gas over there, Raver, did you?" **Zekir cries from the back of our group which Raver is leading.

**"Idiot, doesn't this smell a lot worse than some stupid gas?!" **Raver retorts and I immediately have to agree with his reasoning. Takari and I had used a certain crevice during our days hiding in the cavern whenever the need arose and it would smell just as bad.

**"Say, Raver, the elder never mentioned whether or not she…" **Takari is quicker than me to voice my concerns again. Raver comes to a standstill just as a solid wall in front of us appears in the dwindling light. I catch up to him quickly.

**"He meant it when he said that she doesn't respond to her needs…" **Raver suddenly looks very beaten as he casts his gaze into a corner of the cavern. Following his gaze, my eyes soon fall upon a small body cradled up on a broad leaf. _This must be Greenie; she seems about the size of our new siblings… _Upon doubletaking, I can see that she is writhing around and faintly moaning in what appears to me like a sleepstory plaguing her (Takari would move in a similar fashion during her nightmares) but there was also something else that was covering part of her body though it was too dark to see exactly what it was. _Wait a second, considering the smell around here… _

**"Oh my, oh my…" **Without warning, the elder comes rushing after us and, as my eyes slowly adjust to the darkness, I can eventually see the scene in its full tragedy. Greenie is lying in her own excrement and, likely due to her restless sleep, she must have spread it over much of her body. The elder rushes past us.

**"I suppose I forgot to mention that she is so indifferent about things that she won't even get up to do her business…" **He bows over the moaning swimmer, carefully wrapping up the leaf she was resting on and picking up the poor swimmer. **"Oh my, what a big mess… I had her drink a lot from the river in the morning because she hasn't done any business in a long while but what a mess this is… I suggest that you wait outside until I have washed her in the river properly. Oh my oh my…"**

My eyes follow the elder who continues to mutter to himself, carrying the rolled-up leaf that wrapped the girl, allowing him to transport her comfortably despite the huge mess. I am too shocked by the images I just witnessed to say anything.

**"Do you understand now?" **Raver whispers in a broken voice before hiding his face in his hands and walking back outside without another word. None of his siblings dare tease him about it.

**"Oh the poor girl…" **Takari mumbles and when I look at her I can see her face swimming in tears. **"I thought I had been too broken to carry on but this is…" **Takari can't continue, breaking down on the spot as every pair of eyes watches. Naturally, Takari, perhaps, could relate to Greenie even more than I could because, unlike me, she had sunken as low as to question her existence. Feeling a sudden pity for her, I slowly approach her. Barely have I put my hands soothingly on her shoulders when she whirls around to embrace me. Immediately, I feel some awkwardness rise inside my chest but I've already learned how to deal with this particular emotion, returning the gesture readily, occasionally patting her back.

"You're probably imagining yourself in her situation right now, aren't you?" I guess, addressing her in a quiet voice, not surprised at all when her wet cheek nods against my own.

**"It hurts seeing her; she gave up on life… M-maybe they should just…" **

I know what the girl is trying to say but her sobs swallow the rest of her sentence.

"Would you have wanted me to let you go back then, Takari?" I argue in a serious voice, detaching myself from the embrace, keeping my hands on her shoulders, in order to see her reaction first-hand. "Would you have wanted me to let you walk into your certain demise? Please answer me, Takari." More sobs escape her throat and, for a moment, I consider pulling her back into the hug but then her lips move.

**"Back t-then I would have wanted to…" **Her facial expression contorts into a painful emotion of regret. **"B-but you w-wouldn't let me. You rescued me, Nishir!" **Her hands, previously hanging down and swinging like a twig in the wind, closed into tight fists. **"I was so stupid, wasn't I?!" **One of my hands suddenly moves to lift up her hanging head as I address her with a sad smile.

"Maybe you were but you still listened to me, that's what counts." Takari immediately clings onto me again hence I resume my embrace as well. Right now, I can tell just by the way she holds onto me that she is extremely thankful. It's enough to make me feel a little better after seeing Greenie which was nothing short of a shock. Only now, I begin to notice the confused looks Zekir and Beakles are sending my way (Emi is moved to tears). _Right, I haven't told them about Takari's worst moments yet. I guess we should fetch Raver and tell them. _

"Let's go outside for a bit, it's way too smelly in here now," I say which no one objects to. A little later, we're back to the rocky plateau where we bump into a grumpy Raver sulking. Takari and Emi have recovered during the walk but both girls are still shaken from the events and very quiet as a result. The Bright Circle is slowly leaning closer to the horizon and I realize that we won't be able to retell the entire story on a single day, not that I'm complaining.

**"That didn't go well, did it?" **Raver is speaking up without prior warning, his voice filled with disappointment and bitterness. **"Sorry for dragging you all along… it was stupid for me to think we had any chance to begin with…" **I give the boy a funny side glance. _Have we done anything yet? I don't think so… _

"We just arrived at a bad time, Raver," I tell him with a considerate voice. "Please don't assume that it's not going to work just because this just happened… If we can somehow reach out to her, we might be able to bring her back to reality. We've at least gotta try. "

**"She's just existing; she doesn't even try to live… How do you think it's going to work?!" **

"I don't exactly know," I answer him truthfully." But if we turn around now, she'll always be like this. That much is a given. Things won't change unless we try to do something about it. You don't want her to live like this, being fed and washed like a hatchling, do you?" Raver is ringing with himself but then he gives a sulky reply.

**"Yeah, whatever…" **I don't have the intention to lecture him of course but I guess he took it the wrong way. I make a mental note to be more considerate next time and eventually decide to change the topic and liven up the gloomy mood.

"While we wait, maybe I should just tell you more of the story since we've got nothing better to do until Greenie has had her bath. What do you think?"

**"Yeah, that's a great idea," **Takari affirms, joining my side immediately. **"Maybe then you'll understand why I just... cried like this." **

And just maybe, while recalling these worst days of Takari, I might find a clue for helping Greenie.

* * *

I was still shaken when I arrived at the end of the dark cave. Seeing the Bright Circle shine happily from the sky was infuriating because I couldn't bask in its light at my free will. Any time I did meant risking my life since the fastbiters could be lying in wait somewhere in the thick green foliage that grew everywhere in these parts. Reluctantly, I allowed myself to slack for a little bit, lying on my back to feel the warmth on my face and belly. After so much time spent in darkness, I truly began to appreciate the fact that something like the Bright Circle existed, guiding us through the day, spending warmth and making things grow. _Now I'm beginning to understand why Takari would often show her gratitude for the Bright Circle, I totally get it now… "_

Making sure to keep up my vigilance, listening to every little sound coming from the jungle, I basked in the flawless warmth for a little while. Slowly, I was able to calm down a little from the terrible experience of seeing Takari break like that; slowly my brain started to cut down on negative thoughts and feelings. At last, I felt a little at peace which was just the foundation I needed to advance the cycle of thoughts going through my head all the time.

_Takari won't be able to get better if we stay hidden in a dark cave like that with nothing but her own sorrow to occupy her. There's only one solution; we have to leave for her sake as well as for mine. I'm going to lose my sanity at some point if this goes on forever… "_ Takari could only get better if we got a move on, however, despite giving it a lot of thought, I hadn't been able to find an answer yet. This valley was sealed off except for the water way which, thanks to dangerous currents, sharp cliffs and unpredictable tides, was as close to suicide as taking a stroll in broad daylight with two dozen fastbiters roaming about. It just wouldn't do. However, on that early afternoon, as I was finally getting a chance to relax and think things through, the spark finally came to me.

_We can't get away from this valley but the fastbiters got in… there MUST be some kind of hidden entrance we're unaware of! Didn't we hear eerie sounds in the cavern? Did they get in through the caverns? Could we get out the same way? Where's that tunnel leading out?! _

"I've gotta find it!" I exclaimed while jumping excitedly to my feet in one swift motion, disregarding my own safety for a moment before I realized that I was giving my location away. _Well, I'm going to go back inside anyway!_ Wasting no more time, I sprinted back inside.

* * *

**"While Nishir was exploring, I guess I made a very stupid decision…" **Takari speaks up as my narrative reaches a breather. In hindsight, I would have to agree wholeheartedly.

**"What did you do?" **Emi asks with some curiosity as the storytelling begins to draw her back in, making her forget the sad images of Greenie.

**"I won't spoil you, I'm sure Nishir will get there soon," **she replies with a little smile, nodding in my direction expectantly.

"I will but first I made some dramatic discoveries that changed everything for us…"

* * *

Even though I ran deeper inside the cavern, I had no idea where to go exactly. Takari and I were still far from knowing every tunnel and every turn of the maze-like system that continued far into the mountains surrounding the Valley, turning so dark that even after adjusting our eyes we were completely blind. Could it be one of those that they found and got in? _Think, Nishir, where did those sounds come from? Think! Where had we been when we heard them? _Suddenly, I remembered. _Right, Takari and I were hiding in a corner huddled close together… It was so embarrassing… _I came to a halt momentarily as I racked my brain in an attempt to recall little details.

_I remember, the sounds came from the left-most tunnel but… It is completely blocked by a cave-in to my knowledge. Could it be… _The thought was too intriguing to be discarded in spite of the low likelihood of success. Could the cave-in be passed after all? Even though it was one of the best explored places of this cavern?

I immediately began running as a mixture of fright and excitement overcame me. Was I about to discover how everyone met their untimely end? Was I about to find out how the fastbiters really got in? Faster and faster I ran, eventually taking a left turn and following a rather spacious tunnel until the cave-in abruptly stopped me. Wheezing, I caught my breath while inspecting the wall in front of me with the little light I could work with. Many boulders of various sizes piled up into a wall of rubble that extended way up to the ceiling. _Or was it? _I squeezed my eyes to see in the darkness. Near the ceiling, there were a lot of displaced rocks that looked almost too artificial to be naturally assembled.

_Don't tell me… "_ I didn't waste another thought. With a grim expression, I started climbing the rubble, ignoring a sharp pain on my left leg when I accidentally walked against a boulder too dark to see. Higher and higher I climbed until I had to duck and navigate around stone teeth, vicious sharp rocks growing in a downward fashion from the ceiling in many places of this cavern. My eyes couldn't see anything at all besides washed out, contrasting hues so I used my arms to navigate, touching many boulders and smaller pebbles, slowly creeping on and hitting my head a few times on the now low ceiling. It was tedious work but, slowly, I made progress. This continued for a while and I was growing rapidly confused because I was already expecting to bump against a solid wall of rock but it just wouldn't come. Actually, the uneven rubble I was waddling over with my big swimmer feet appeared to be sloping downwards. My eyes couldn't see anything, they didn't see the danger in front of me either.

"What the!" I exclaimed suddenly when my foot hit nothing but thin air. Not finding any appropriate footing, my body fell forward, crashing into rocks and pebbles and sliding down a rather steep slope. At first I wanted to scream in pain (I had obtained some nasty bruises) but that was when I began to understand what was going on. I hadn't just fallen down any slope. This was the other side of the seemingly blocked path, completely black and dark but it existed! It wasn't a dead end for Takari and me which meant that escape was suddenly possible!

**"**I can't believe it, we can really leave and escape the fastbiters!" I said quite audibly to myself as my excitement drowned even the deep-rooted sadness that I was constantly carrying around to a varying degree. _There's little doubt that the fastbiters got through this opening, of course we wouldn't know it existed because it's too dark to see it directly. We… Couldn't have predicted or prevented the attack… I guess that's just as good as it is bad news. Well, at least I don't have to blame myself for not noticing and, besides, the hole was likely dug anyway, considering the way the rocks and pebbles were sprawling around the opening… I have to tell Takari, this'll cheer her up for sure!"_

* * *

"While I was celebrating my discovery, Takari was resting in her cavern - or so I thought back then…" I look over to the girl wearing a slight frown on her beautiful face. Had I known back then what kind of thoughts she was dealing with, maybe I would have never left her side to begin with…

* * *

Although it did take a while to get back up and down on the other side of the cave-in, I managed to climb back without further accidents, feeling rather relieved when I saw a faint light coming from the distant cavern entry, my eyes maximally adapted to the dark now after experiencing an almost absolute lack of light. As soon as my feet were treading upon level floor again, I began running excitedly back towards the cavern where I had left Takari earlier…

When I arrived back at the cavern, I immediately noticed that something was not alright. All the time while jogging back, I was wondering how Takari had been doing during my absence but I was surprised to see that she wasn't anywhere to see.

"Takari," I called into the cavern, my voice echoing through the long tunnels eerily. "Takari, I'm back. Where are you?" Eagerly, I sharpened my ears, however no one answered my call.

"Takari?" I repeated, raising my voice a little but no response came. _Where could she be and why is she not replying? Don't tell me she's back in trance?! _Uneasiness was spreading through my chest and a sense of panic was tangible. Hectically, I checked every corner of the cavern for signs of the girl, however I wasn't able to locate her.

"Takari, where are you?!" I cried into the hallways, several echoes of my plea amplifying the message. There was no way Takari could fail to hear me now and yet no response. _If she is nearby… And not on trance… _Those were possibilities, unfortunately, which I had to keep in the back of my mind. I was convinced by now that she wasn't physically present in this cavern.

"Maybe she went back to the other cave where she used to hide?" I mumbled to myself as the thought popped up suddenly. Given her breakdown earlier, that wasn't even that surreal of a possibility. "I've gotta check!" Panic was still tangible but I was now provided with another option to find the girl. There wasn't a way I could lose Takari now, it just mustn't happen. She had to be over there, asleep or spacing out. She just had to!

"Takari? Are you here? Answer me, Takari!" I called much louder than was necessary, panting a little as I had been sprinting in worry. Not a single thing even suggested that the small room was housing any other living creature beside me; no reply, not even a sound. My eyes hadn't adjusted to the much darker conditions in this cavern yet so I couldn't see as much as a faint outline of the walls.

"ANSWER if you're here, Takari!" I yelled in growing frustration and panic but the cavern fell silent after the usual echo of my voice had subsided. _What the heck, she can't be gone! I have to find her! _Panicky, I used my outstretched arms to find the wall and walked along the walls, checking every oh so little crevice in the wall for the girl but, even after doing three full circles and my eyes adjusting to the point of seeing my own hands, I couldn't find Takari. There was only one possible explanation for this…

"She's not here! I lost her; I lost my only companion!" I screamed in full panic, my hands clobbering the side of my head. Takari was all I had left; losing her would mean the end for me. I was only able to work the courage to fight for our survival because she lived, because she was struggling too. If Takari was gone, how could I even bare my tragic fate? Suddenly, my discovery meant nothing anymore. All that mattered was to find out what happened to Takari. Had she left the cavern? Was she just hiding from me? Or…

"No, I'm such a fool!" Without warning, I had a horrible hunch, coming to an even more horrible realization. "She even said it, I'm such an idiot! 'Nishir, I want to go where my family is'… could it be that she meant it?! Does she want to… Oh shit!" I felt tears blur the little vision I had in the dark as I realized the full implementation of the situation. _She's trying to join her family; in other words, she's trying to die just like them! I have to find her; she's all I have left! Where could she have gone?!"_ Thankfully, it didn't take long to draw the conclusion. In a valley full of deadly fastbiters, there was an awfully easy way to accomplish what she was planning to do.

_I need to run fast; she must have slipped past me while I was exploring the tunnel… and I've walked all this way back here and searched for an eternity! All the while she was already wandering around outside… Shit shit SHIT! _My heart was hammering in my chest. Takari might already have walked into a fastbiter and any second I didn't find her would increase the odds of that happening! Quickly, I stumbled back into the tunnel and started running as fast as my legs could carry me…

* * *

The atmosphere is suddenly very heavy and every pair of eyes stares with disbelief at Takari as if begging her to deny my story but the girl just greets them with a sad, regretful expression. Even Raver appears to be very shocked and Emi is actually wiping away some tears. I sigh audibly before I pick up the story again.

* * *

By the time I got to the entrance of the large cave system, my ribs were burning and my legs crying with fatigue. My skin was shred in several places because I had tripped over uneven ground and pebbles multiple times but none of these obstacles could stop my burning fear which was driving me on. For just a little moment, I allowed my body to catch some breath as the Bright Circle's light momentarily blinded me. Takari had likely left the cavern so I had to figure out where she had gone. The valley was too big to start a blind search so I had to find her tracks. _There are many conflicting sets of footprints in the soft grass. We've been here for food and the call of nature several times. Shit, there's no way of telling which one belongs to Takari! What should I do?! _Fear was engulfing me like a swarm of mollusks, gobbling up my composure and ability to think calmly and rationally. All I could think of was to find her but not how to accomplish it. Takari was in mortal danger if my hunch was true so I simply mustn't waste a single moment. Frantically, I looked around as my vision adapted to daylight at last. There was the usual path through the underbrush that Takari and I had broken through the dense jungle once and had been using it ever since. Several sets of footprints of various quality lead in and out of the path but there was no telling whether or not Takari had really used it or broken through the thick vegetation elsewhere unless…

"There would be footprints to prove it!" I told myself loudly as a means of encouragement, quickly sprinting forward and walking along the untreaded portions of the jungle in search of such footprints.

"There's nothing," I concluded with heavy breath soon after, returning to the path that led into the forest. "She must have used this one after all!" I felt new strength in my legs as I realized that I had her trail for now, entering a quick jog, hoping that I wouldn't be too late…

* * *

A serious amount of scratches covered my skin by the time I broke out of the jungle but I had had no time to avoid twigs and stingy plants with sharp thorns. The pain I was feeling was nothing in comparison to the pain that the death of Takari would result in. As the view of the valley finally unfolded in front of my eyes, I finally allowed myself once more to take a quick breather and analyze the situation. We hadn't been here for well over the time the Night Circle takes to go from shining brightly to it's sickle-like form and things had changed dramatically since then. Hardly any carcass still had flesh on them. Where badly mutilated corpses used to lie, now only bones remained. Some skeletons of the swimmers were a big mess, rip cases broken apart and backbones sprawled all over the place. It was a truly devastating sight. Not too long ago, those were living and talking swimmers and now only bones reminded of their existence.

_At least there aren't any fastbiters at the moment but it's the middle of the day. I have to be careful… Me dying on Takari isn't going to help her either! _It was one less thing to worry about but I still had to find out where she had gone from here. A quick scan of the area only revealed numerous corpses and a pleasant lack of predators but no sign of a little green swimmer. Swimmer children were usually well hidden in grass unless they were hatched with unusual colours which didn't make things much easier. In addition, I could not see vast amounts of the valley from my current vantage point which didn't exactly increase my chances either. Takari, even if walking slowly, should have had more than enough time to wander past the area I could set sight on right now. A quick scan of the floor revealed no obvious set of footprints and the high grass that followed the forest would swallow them soon enough even if I honestly tried to track them down.

"Where could she have gone?!" I cried while frantically working my brain. Just what might the girl be thinking? Would she just blindly walk around or might she have a certain destination in mind?

"She said she wanted to be with her family… did she perhaps…" I thought out loud when an idea popped up. Quickly, I turned my head to the right, looking into the distance towards a certain pair of carcasses. Unless I was mistaken, her parents had bravely fought and died there. If Takari had been quite literal with her statement, could she actually have gone to the corpses of her parents for whatever little comfort they might be able to offer? Was she actually there? I squeezed my eyes since they were a fair distance ahead and, indeed, while I couldn't identify it clearly, there appeared to be a small lime green dot in between the two dead swimmers. Could this be Takari?! I didn't know for sure but it was better than staying where I was or combing through the whole valley without any plan. It was my best bet. Quickly, I made sure that the air was still clear to go before I leapt out of the bushes into the open grasslands, the fear of being seen almost as great as the fear of Takari being seen before I could reach her… If it was even Takari to begin with.

But I would soon find out…

* * *

**"Damn, Nishir, you got guts, walking into the land the fastbiters claimed from you guys…" **

Raver seems quite impressed and Takari seems to have a small appreciative smile left for me, however I cannot quite agree with their depiction of the situation.

**"Above all, it was stupid and reckless. You could have easily died there," **Beakles says almost in a scornful way. Feels weird being lectured by a kid much younger than me but Beakles seems to have mental maturity that's more on our level.

**"I'm just glad nothing happened!" **Emi shouts with obvious relief.

**"How do you know, he didn't finish the story yet?" **Suddenly, everyone looks at Zekir with a dumbfounded expression, myself included. _He's not the brightest, is he?_

**"He's standing right in front of you, right?" **Takari says and for once I'm delighted to see her teasing in action since it's not directed at me. Zekir quickly ducks under the gleeful grins of Takari and the other two boys. I smile internally at the humorous display before regaining everyone's attention.

* * *

Never had I felt more uncomfortable than when I was running through the valley without knowing whether I was being taken notice of. The seconds seemed more like minutes and even though I was moving in a borderline ducked sprint, it didn't feel like I was getting any closer. Passing by numerous skeletons of former herd members didn't really help to ease my frigid and timid mind any. Any second I expected to be ambushed by the fastbiters but no attack came. Eventually, I got close enough to take a better look, almost tripping over my feet when a most welcome yet horrible sight greeted me.

_It's Takari thank goodness! _The lime-green dot had indeed been Takari. Immediately, a feeling of immense joy and great relief overcame me; she was alive which meant everything to me, however, she was in such a poor condition, that I was having trouble rejoicing at all. _Oh good grief… _Not only had she meant it quite literally but she was hugging one of her parent's beaks - or what was left of it anyway, all the while appearing to be shaking with heavy but muffled sobs. It was a truly pitiful sight.

"Takari!" I yelled without thinking, the fact that I might alert any nearby predators already slipping my mind. Quickly, I sprinted the remaining distance, a couple stone throws at best.

"Takari…" I panted while holding my sides as I finally arrived at the site. Both swimmer skeletons were entirely cleaned from remaining flesh, only bones remaining which weren't even connected in the correct way anymore as the corpses had been violated by the fastbiters during their meal. And Takari was sobbing in the middle of it. As much as I pitied her, my first reaction was to be angry.

"Are you completely mad?!" I wheezed out while catching my heavy breath. "I get that you want to be with your family even though they're dead but at the risk of getting eaten? You must be crazy!" Takari looked up when I began shouting at her, her eyes red and swollen.

**"You sh-shouldn't have come here, Nishir…" **she sobbed quietly, looking a little shamefully at me like a kid being caught in something that was off-limits.

"What's this supposed to mean, Takari?" I inquired with a firm voice.

**"I didn't want to b-b-bother you w-with this. Please go before they find me…"**

I needn't ask who Takari was referring to when she said "they". My worst suspicion had come true. _She wants to join her dead family, in other words… _Panic rose inside of me as that realization and its obvious consequence fully registered in my mind. _She is planning to commit suicide by allowing fastbiters to eat her, oh dear no!_ I had been trying to deny it during much of my hectic journey to find the girl but, now that she had openly admitted it, part of my world just felt on the brink of collapse.

"Are you outta your mind, Takari?!" I yelled at her as my panic turned into anger. _This must probably be what it's like to be a parent and yell at your child, oww that thought hurts…_

Takari didn't reply at first. Shamefully, she looked away, the occasional sob rocking her small body. I waited patiently, even had my hands on my hips like my dad would often do when he was reprimanding me (that thought hurt too…). Takari was fidgeting around with the tip of her tail until my continuous stern stare finally prompted an answer.

"**As a matter of fact…"** Her voice was very weak and hoarse. She sounded tired, so tired of this world. "**Nishir, I think my mind is clearer than ever. I finally… know."**

Even though her cryptic answer didn't make any sense, I continued to listen to what she had to say.

"**All this time, I-I've been crying and crying, over and over again. All this time I've been thinking 'what should I do? When is it finally going to stop hurting and t-tearing me apart?' Day after day I've spent like this, bearing the pain hoping it'd get better b-but… Nishir, it just hurts even more! Every day without my p-parents, every day reliving everything in my sleep stories, each time seeing all the b-blood a-and the b-b-bodies in front of my inner eye again… I… I can… can't... "**

Takari fell to her knees as her composure disintegrated entirely.

"**These last days I've been wondering; w-what's the p-point of suffering like this? There is no p-point, is there? It's really so simple when you t-think about it!"**

I could only look at her in shock as she said all these horrible things so casually as if she was embracing an old friend.

"**I can't take any more of it!" **she blurted out, heavy sorrow rocking her little lime-green body. My anger fell from me at that point and I rushed over to kneel down next to her and put a helping hand on her sagging shoulders.

"**I want to see them again… the longer… we're apart… the more I crave… to see them again… feel their warmth… hear their voices again. I can't… take it.. anymore…"**

Takari had leant over, sobbing into my chest, her voice barely a whisper at this point.

"**Nishir… I'm tired. Tired of… this world. It's too… cruel."**

I couldn't argue with her statement. It was excruciatingly cruel and our fate was to have survived while everyone else did not. Would it have been better to have died too? I needn't ask Takari for her opinion as she had made it clear as day, however I needed to get my line of thinking straight. Takari's speech had mellowed my anger about her suicidal thoughts to the point that I started to sympathize with them. Basically, what was the point of our existence? Did we exist just to suffer because we survived? Did we exist to accomplish anything? Did we exist for any reason at all? Was there any meaning behind staying alive and trudging on on a path that was so hard to walk that it seemed ludicrous to even give it a try? So far, whenever my mind had wandered places as dark as this, my answer had always been 'because Takari is still there, I can't leave her alone'. However, since Takari was tired of clinging to a life that was probably devoid of any meaning or hope, would there be any point in opposing her? My only objective had been her survival all this time but now it was an objective that Takari no longer wanted, no longer cared about. Could I really bring it upon myself to stop Takari, who probably just no longer wanted to suffer, making her suffer even more as a result?

"**Nishir… wanna die… together?"**

Takari's words, which didn't even form full sentences anymore, shook me out of my thoughts. Apparently, I had spaced out for a fair while as her crying had ceased to make room for a strange emptiness in her expression that worried me greatly. I started giving her question a serious thought, considering it was a question I had been rather close to asking myself too. I, too, was tired of crying for hours at a time after all, was tired of all the sorrow, loneliness, angst and so many more negative feelings haunting me with striking relentlessness and, most of all, I couldn't take seeing Takari in the state she was in any longer. Her being just as broken as the bones of her parents next to me made me snap inside… _just like a bone_. I was tired of this cruel world myself so why should I keep on putting myself through all these hardships if the only reason for me doing so was Takari, who no longer wanted to live? It was very tempting and I ended up staring at Takari's empty eyes for much longer than seemed appropriate. If I didn't say anything soon, maybe she would return to the trance-like state…

"Takari…" I begun but, in all honesty, I didn't know what to say and my mind was far from accepting her offer yet. Some part of me wanted to give in to the tempting solution to all our problems, wanted to be free of all the burden, but another part of me seemed just as eager to cling to the miserable existence that I had left. I needed more time; I hadn't done all the thinking required to make such a big decision as to continue or end my own life yet, however Takari had already made up her mind and that was something that I somehow had to deal with, for now.

"Look…" I began again but the words just wouldn't come to me.

"**Die… with… me?"**

Takari's level of speech was rapidly deteriorating. I had observed this once or twice while patiently comforting her after a scary sleep story would jolt her awake and make her experience the pain of that day once more. Back then, her speech, too, had slowly deteriorated; she had been reduced to referring to herself in 3rd person like little children would often do, even using toddler language until she would return to a trance-like state that made her completely unresponsive to verbal communication. _If she returns to the trance state, then I won't stand a chance talking to her. I need to stop her… but… how?_

"Takari I… I don't know," I finally managed to answer her plea, fidgeting around in an attempt to find the words she needed to hear right now.. "That decision is a very big one, I can't just decide this on the spot."

"**Pwwweeaase…"** Takari even reverted back to toddler language now, any more regression and she would be unresponsive! "**Want to… stay with… Nishir… to the end... together…"**

_Is she being considerate of me being left behind if she carries out her plan or is she just afraid to die all alone, all after sneaking away from me without a notice whatsoever?_ _Well, not that it matters right now…_

"**Takari… sowwy…"**

"Look, I understand how you feel, Takari…" I told her, a little bit of my anger from earlier taking hold of me again for Takari even thinking such a thing. "If you think I'd be any less tired of this crap than you are then you'd be badly mistaken. We're suffering together, remember? But, for now, could we please return to our cave and think this over together? It's not safe here…"

Me telling her things she didn't want to hear apparently improved her condition a little and some life returned to the blue orbs of her eyes, even if she still retained the expression of someone who had already given up.

"**Takari… can't do that…"**

"Could you stop being unreasonable, please?" I begged her with a voice as calm as I could muster between my dark thoughts and my worry for our safety. "I'm worried about you, y'know…"

"**I can't…" **Some tears started leaking from her eyes again while she was becoming more and more aware of everything around her again, her speech slowly returning as well.

"Takari, I'm hurting too…" I said quietly to her as I used one of my hands to raise her chin up so she would look at me. "But I'll be hurting even worse if you take your life… Please do not hurt me even more, you're all I have left…"

Saying things like these would have normally made me blush so bad that the sky colours during the time the Bright Circle goes to sleep are hardly a comparison to the colour of my face, but, right now, none of this mattered as I was fighting for Takari to see reason, no matter how unlikely it was, given her mind state and the amount of determination she was showing right now. The girl was definitely considering what I had just asked of her since a lot more tears were flowing from her eyes and her expression took on a very troubled tone.

"**That's why I-I asked y-you to j-j-join me…" **she sobbed eventually. "**So that I… wouldn't have to leave you behind…"**

"...after sneaking away without a word about it…" I reprimanded her in a stingy tone, however it didn't prompt any reaction whatsoever from Takari.

"I do appreciate your concern, Takari, but, as I said, for a decision of such importance, I need more time to make up my mind."

"**I've m-made up my mind long ago, I'm not c-changing my decision," **the girl cried quietly. "**I'm going to s-stay here with my mommy and my daddy until… they finally have mercy on me and eat me too!" **It wasn't hard to tell that she was feeling extremely uneasy, saying these disgusting things but she was also unhealthily determined to see her plan to the end. Perhaps she was regretting that she didn't have the mental strength to change her mind for my sake. Or perhaps she just didn't care anymore? _Either way, I won't let you, Takari!_

"And I'm not letting you do it," I told her in a calm but fierce voice which seemed to stir her emotions up. When she stared at me with an unbelieving expression, I decided to reinforce my opinion with even stronger words.

"Only over my dead body; I definitely will not allow you to throw away your life like that!"

"**Why?!" **she suddenly yelled at me while pushing my supporting hand away, even getting to her feet now. "**Why won't you just let me?! Don't you see that I'm done!? Don't you see that any second I'm here just causes me more and more pain?! I always thought you were my best friend, Nishir, so why are you…"**

_Okay, now I'm seriously pissed!_

"Why?!" I retorted angrily, interrupting her evolving rant. "Shouldn't that be obvious, Takari?! Come on, who in the right state of their mind would approve of their best friend deciding to bloody get eaten by a fastbiter?! Take a hint!"

But Takari didn't take it.

"**Did you even listen to me, Nishir?!" **The girl yelled, this time rather loudly, certainly loud enough to let any bystanders know of our presence. "**Do you have any idea what it feels like to be 'me' right now?!"**

"Oh, I only lost my entire family and puked over my siblings' half-eaten corpses, sorry for not understanding what it feels like to be 'YOU'!" I yelled back, her statements so outrageous that I couldn't help but use sarcasm to get my point across.

"Also, would you keep it down for heaven's sake!" I hissed at her angrily. "Do you want to get us killed!?"

"**K-kind of?" **Her honesty was more brutal than the worst stomach sickness. "**Nishir, let's just…"**

"NO!" I retorted fiercely, even forgetting to keep my voice down due to how angry her behavior and ignorance was making me. "I'm not letting my dear friend get eaten by a bloody fastbiter and that's final!"

"**ARE YOU EVEN MY FRIEND THOUGH?!"**

Suddenly, I lost all my fight when gawking at the absurdity of what the girl had just screamed at the top of her lungs, failing to come up with anything to counter it.

"**If you cared even a little for me, you'd have mercy with my pathetic self and let me die together with my parents! I just… want to be happy and carefree again but that will never be possible again now that they're g-g-g-GONE!"**

"Since when have you turned into a little drama queen, Takari!?" I shouted at her, still too shocked to believe this was actually happening, me and Takari having a full fledged row over her decision to die. I was so angry at her that I couldn't even care less about her having another emotional breakdown. "Normally, it's you who's always so strong and perfect at everything, what happened to that 'you'?"

"**It died along with everyone else!"** Takari cried, tears all over her face now. "**I'm going where that 'you' of me is and-and you won't stop me, never!"**

***slap***

It happened faster than my brain could register. Before I knew what I was doing, I had raised my hand and slapped Takari straight across her right cheek, so hard, in fact, that the girl fell over. Tears shot into my eyes as I addressed her.

"Idiot, snap out if it! I don't want to lose you!" Suddenly, I was on the ground too, losing my composure entirely. "You-you're all I have left, T-Takari… I-I can't let you go… I just… can't!"

"**Ni-Nishir…"**

My emotional outburst finally seemed to have reached her. For a while, only my sobs could be heard as I was trying to get them under control again.

"I know how you're feeling, Takari, but… aren't you just being selfish?" I asked her in a weak voice as my outburst slowly receded. "Have you not thought about how I'd feel if you died on me, leaving me all alone to deal with all this crap? Wouldn't that be just as cruel as me keeping you alive? Would you want me to die, leaving you behind all alone just like that?"

Apparently, this little speech had really made Takari consider the words I had thrown at her for she seemed to be contemplating while I tried to dry my tears with mixed success.

"**To be honest… I haven't taken your feelings into consideration, Nishir,"** she eventually admitted while holding a hand over the swollen area of her face where I had hit her earlier. "**You know… I'm not changing my mind but… out of respect for your feelings… I would wait just until you've… made up your mind. I'm sorry, Nishir. I'm not as strong as you are…"**

"If that means you're coming back to the caverns with me, then I have no reason to object at the moment," I replied in a tired voice, glad that our fierce argument, probably the worst we've ever had in our lives, was finally coming to an end.

"**I don't want to… I want to stay at my parents' side,"** the girl said in a sad voice, causing my eyebrows to twitch dangerously.

"Don't make me slap you again, Takari," I said through gritted teeth at her childish request. "I've already hurt you enough after all…"

"**Yes you have…"** she retorted weakly, and I could tell that she wasn't just referring to the bruise that I gave her.

"Look, without the intention to stir all these bad feelings up again but… your parents are dead, Takari. I mean, look…" I could tell that I was just about to make the girl cry in a horrible way once again but some things needed to be said and her lack of willingness to go somewhere safe was beginning to frighten me, especially considering that we've both screamed at the top of our lungs just now. Pointing my fingers at the pile of bones only loosely resembling two adult swimmers anymore, I continued.

"These are just a pile of bones at this point, there's nothing left of them. They've moved on; they're gone. It's pointless dwelling at their carcasses, Takari. Please understand…"

***slap***

Without warning, Takari's hand made a rapid move towards my face, hitting me square across my face just as I had done so moments ago, a small trifle of blood starting to trickle from my nostrils. _Guess I deserved that for reopening all these scars…_ Takari was standing in front of me, wearing an angry expression at first but, within seconds, her hands starting clenching her chest and her whole body started to tremble. Takari was going through a terrible heartache. After a few seconds, she fell to her knees, every muscle in her body extremely tense, then falling flat on the ground and going completely limp all of a sudden. Not even a sob was able to escape her beak as she lay there, suffering. Since I knew that nothing I could tell her right now would ease any of her pain, I just proceeded asking her what I was going to ask her anyway, now that it was relevant.

"Where do you believe are they now? Your parents, my parents… everyone. Where do you think their souls go after their bodies are gone? Where do you think we would go?"

Admittedly, it was an extremely philosophical question and it was extremely unfitting to discuss it somewhere so dangerous, however I wanted to understand why Takari was so keen on staying close to the dead bodies despite her decision not to die until I have made up my mind. _Now that I've arrived here, I just don't want to, given that not making it up would keep her alive. But that's a thought for later..._

"Personally, I do believe in some sort of afterlife, however I don't quite know what shape it would take - or where the dead go to begin with…" I prompt her by starting the discussion and sharing my opinion, hoping that Takari just hadn't snapped into a trance.

"**The Bright Circle…"** she mumbled ever so quietly, without any context whatsoever.

"The Bright Circle?" I reinstate with an expression of confusion. "What about it?"

"**It's where they… go."**

"The dead?"

"**Hm."**

_An interesting theory for sure._

"What makes you think that that's where they go, Takari?" I asked softly as not to upset her any more than I already did. To my surprise, some life returned to her body and, with some difficulty, she sat up.

"**The Bright Circle does a lot of good things, right?" **she claimed, her sad eyes fixated on me. "**I've always been thinking… if there's a place for our ancestors to watch over and guide us, it would be the Bright Circle."**

"What about the Night Circle then; or the blinky lights?" I prompted her with some curiosity. Personally, I had always thought the blinky lights to be that place where our ancestors watch over us.

"**Well, we don't need much guidance when we sleep, do we?"**

_That's a valid point…_

"**They'd probably want to see us play and have fun, not sleep and having bad sleepstories, r-right?"**

I looked at her poor form and somehow mustered a small smile despite the circumstances.

"That's why you like it so much, the Bright Circle, am I right?"

"**Of course… I thought my lost siblings would appreciate it if I came and said 'good night' to them every now and then as they watch over me from way up there… it just felt right to do it…"**

_Right, I tend to forget that she had lost her siblings when they were still toddlers..._

"Then why don't we do that later, climb a tree near the cave (because the trees would block the view from there) and say 'good night' to our folks?"

Suddenly, Takari gave me an extremely teary-eyed glance before quietly nodding. _I did it; I convinced her!_

"Shall we get going then? I'm sure that's way better than waiting here until a fastbiter finds and eats you, right?"

***ROAR***

_If only I hadn't said anything..._

* * *

**This is one of these chapters that one needs to digest for a bit I think. I'm in the same boat, I have no idea what to write about here.**

**Unless you can guess from here, Greenie is actually going to get a little side story which will be resolved in the next chapter (15k words, be prepared lol) and the advisory warning will apply to chapter 6 as well once that's out. Oh, and it also figures that the cliffhanger will span over two chapters as a result (I'm an evil Swimmer after all).**

**Yeah, I can't think of more. I've got plenty of old reviews to respond to at least :P**

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Anagnos chapter 4 . Jan 25

"Just to let you know, I will be releasing these reviews separately rather than putting them in one post. :)

Chapter 3: I'm very much in favor of the more darker approach in this chapter when compared to the small hints we have been given throughout the journey thus far. The past pretense that this would merely be a slice of life kind of story has now been swept away just as Takari and Nishir's entire life with their herd. For the most part, I did find the impending calamity to have been executed decently, my main issues with it lay mostly on how you decided to approach it. Rather than immediately revealing that something was amiss, more preferable option would have been to ease the reader into the dark condition by giving small hints before the ultimate reveal.

But I must confess, that your approach in introducing what is lead to believe to be the tragedy shaping up the duo's relationship between each other was done rather well, and the death of their families likely shows how such close bond eventually came to be as both of them have now lost something very dear to them. The overall mood of the chapter was mostly a rather tragic one, but the way Nishir began to tend to his last remaining acquaintance of his old life helped set the atmosphere into a hopeful direction. This act of kindness from the male likely is one of the reasons why the two of them end up becoming so close. Though, her short-lived state of shock did not last very long, even after witnessing horrible sight after another did manage to lower the quality of the moment.

In terms of emotional impact, the overall quality of the writing was handled suitably, but lacked the emotion that it required. In spite of my comments, I think the chapter still managed to do its job in introducing the reader to the darker aspects of the story, which will be instrumental in going forward."

**Thank you very much, Anagnos (and that's fine lol)**

**I think I know what you are criticizing about my approach but I do not really know how to do it different from how I have done it. As such, I'm not sure how helpful the critique is for me to make it better next time.**

**Hmm, am I understanding this right that chapter 3 was not emotional enough? What would you have expected that I failed to do? I thought it was super depressing and really dark so this comes as a little surprise. With these stories, emotional impact is the key thing an author needs to nail so to hear that I haven't nailed it makes me curious how to improve myself, especially given that a lot of emotional scenes are still ahead of us in this story. **

**Do you think it would have been smarter to have Takari freeze entirely during that scene? I can certainly get behind that but it would have been inconvenient, at least during the night time scene of them saying goodbye to their folks. There's the case of Greenie now who is completely shut away from reality as a result of a similar tragedy. Would you have prefered for Takari to remain in a similar state to underline just how crushing it is on her? I would love to hear your responses (can be by PM too) because I would like to listen to your advice and improve what I can by editing the chapter again.**

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Keijo6chapter 5 .Jan 25

"These two chapters certainly provided a change in this story's direction. Nishir and Takari's fun days were cut short in the worst possible way and also put this fic on the track towards the situation the duo are in in the current day. The latter chapter certainly was a depressing one but one can hardly blame Takari for her extreme reaction even if it only makes Nishir's situation even more unbearable.

Chapter 3 was truly a chaotic one and it was more than easy to feel bad for everyone involved. The two friends' fear and peril was very tangible as was their fear for their loved ones. The moment they realized the truth was a very sad one and it was very hard to even start to think how they feel and you did a good job there. That was certainly a difficult chapter to read but it was necessary to make this story move forward.

As for the second chapter, it was a slower one but that was more than understandable considering the circumstances. It was interesting to see Takari giving up considering that she was more confident and brash than Nishir which made her character much deeper. It was clear Nishir wasn't feeling any better than she was but on the other hand, it seemed his feelings for her were forcing him forward.  
The future looks bleak for them but we do know that Takari is not going to meet her end here.

There were a few things that bothered me, though. The first was that chapter three seemed to start too quickly and even if I understand you might have wanted it to add to the shock value, it felt a bit awkward imo. The second is that in both chapters there were many long paragraphs that were quite heavy to read. And finally, I don't know if it was intentional but Tamari's plea for death sounded very much similar to that of Jordy's character in the rp.

But even then, these chapters were a welcome change to this story and changed it into a tale of survival and mutual help to overcome the looming starvation. It's clear that both of the young swimmer's will learn a lot in the days to come and it'll be interesting to see just what happens from now on."

**Thank you for your review :)**

**Yes, you truly cannot blame Takari for reacting in the way she did and yes it causes Nishir a lot of trouble as chapter 5 has just proven.**

**Yes, chapter 3 was full of horror for the two, it also was very hard to compose it for the same reason. I am very glad that you found it to be effective in what it was trying to achieve.**

**Chapter 4 largely focused on the aftermath of their loss so, for the lack of action, it had to be a little slower indeed. I'm glad that didn't prove to be troublesome. As for the situation between our two protagonists being the other way around now, Nishir being the strong one and Takari being the weak one, I think The rhombus described it perfectly in his review. Nishir shows much needed character growth in the face of their cruel fate while Takari shows that she is not as strong a character as the first two chapters might suggest.**

**One good thing about the real time part of the story is that we do know they'll be fine eventually but we do not know how they've managed to escape the tight grip of depression and despair. Otherwise, I think this story might be even darker in its tone than it already is.**

**Concerning your critique about chpt. 3 starting too fast, since I already covered it in my response to Anagnos, I won't elaborate on it again but I will ask you the same questions that I have asked him. From what I can tell, you would have preferred a less sudden switch from Slice of Life to playing detective to being crushed by reality? If that's what you are critizing, how would you have softened the transition? I have no idea how to elongate the transition phase right now, I'm afraid.**

**About the long paragraphs, that is probably a habit of mine, resulting from my mother tongue. Us germans love long, complicated sentences for some reason and I guess this also transitions into writing long paragraphs. I can go over the chapter again and try to break them up a little more, however it would be a lot easier with a few examples of where this seriously made reading more difficult for you so I know better what to be looking out for when making edits :) **

**Regardless, I'm glad that you still enjoyed the developments. Thanks again for the review :)**

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Anagnos chapter 5 .Jan 26

"And here is the other review that was promised. I concede that the pun in the chapter was rather great way to relieve the tension in this chapter. Points for that. :p

Chapter 4: There certainly was a lot more drama in play throughout this entire chapter, and it did a decent job fleshing out this frantic situation Nishir and Takari find themselves trapped in. Furthermore, I believe you managed to sell the idea of them being completely lost better in this one compared to the previous chapter, but since that was merely the starting point of their rather harrowing point in life, it proved to be a welcome extension of their torment. Nevertheless, there was a slight impression lurking behind the scene when Nishir's short-lived hatred for the sharpeeth outweighing everything else didn't exactly feel like raw anger, but rather mild annoyance. This was likely due to how you decided to demonstrate this particular moment, rather than the cause being the writing. This could've also provided you a rather great chance to explore how exactly it affected Nishir than merely stating how he felt at the moment.

But the sincere and heartfelt moment these two shared prior to Nishir's mission to find them both required nutrition to stay alive was one that gave us a bit more insightful information in exploring their relationship after the dreadful event that has made them seek solace from each other. Although, Nishir's personal feelings for the female might make things rather awkward in the future, they definitely require moments like this in order to cope with the loss and pain. Though, certain events in this chapter seemed to be quite contradicting to what has already been revealed. I'm trying to wrap my head around a particular moment with Takari's incapacity to sleep alone, why then have her sleep alone in the first place? And the reason for this was rather silly and lacked key elements, albeit they are just children.

I don't think there is a need to worry about what Takari might cause to herself, as she seems to be rather fine in the current timeline, but it will be interesting to see what could have brought this change in her personality, but it certainly will not be fatal as that would present certain continuity issues in the story. That being said, Nishir's reaction to this revelation (or rather lack thereof) wasn't handled with the most success as it is hard to believe he would allow that to happen without expressing opposition. For sure, this will allow you to explore these developments in clear light and present a genuine response to this issue in the following chapters. :)"

**Yay, the pun scored xD**

**Yeah, obviously the drama would be the main focus in this one while the first dark chapter was about the suddenness of the cruelty that unfolded and about the initial impact that it had on them. The second chapter shines light on the mid-term consequences for them and coming chapters (as well as to some degree their present story) tells of the long-term impacts of the losses. **

**Nishir does feel anger at the sharpteeth, I mean who wouldn't feel anger at the killer of their families? Moreover though, I think part of him does realize that it is a natural thing to occur so, at least, he isn't angry at the fastbiters personally which limits the severity of his outburst. He's just too sad to feel any "real" anger as well because he'll just be overwhelmed by it and just ends up crying instead of raging against them. That's what I was thinking anyway. If you disagree, I'm happy to hear to what extend Nishir should feel anger at the fastbiter in your opinion. This is an aspect I can change easily without impacting any major plot points after all :)**

**I think the biggest development of the relationship between Nishir and Takari here is that they gradually learn to depend on one another and these two chapters only show the early stages of this. I have debated for a long time whether to have them isolate themselves from another the entire time but then decided against it because, honestly, how could they even bear this at all? This limits my options of further development of their relationship later on to some degree but it allowed me to have this sincere and heartfelt moment. You are right that Nishir's shyness around her as far as physical closeness and thoughts of liking her are concerned is a major problem, however he is decent enough to ignore them for the sake of giving the girl the comfort that she needs (and, arguably, he needs it no less). You've probably noticed how they're less... close to each other in the present with the exception of episodes of crying during which the two will support each other with little hesitation.**

**I think this also plays into the potential plothole that you discovered. I'm not denying that it can be called a plothole. The reason why I chose this particular weakness for Takari is because it allows for a lot of healtfelt and funny scenes in the long run. This clashes with their mechnisms of coping, however, and I think that is what causes a plothole to some extend. Both Takari and Nishir soon develop a rather common reaction to such severe depression: They retreat and isolate themselves despite the contra-indication. They're too busy with themselves, trying to make sense of their losses to care much about each other at first but Nishir snaps out of it after a few days and that's when the heartfelt moment occurs. Anyone can sleep if tired enough but she cannot sleep easily and/or without crying when she's alone. I'm planning to elaborate on this a lot in later chapters too. Last but not least, I think your explanation of them being children (= not always 100% reasonable) could also work as an explanation lol. I hope it was nothing too major ruining your reading impression.**

**Right on, we know no one dies at least lol. You're completely right there. About your critique about Nishir's lack of opposition, well, he just took a while to realize the full implications of her words. You understood immediately what Takari wanted to do but Nishir took a chapter longer to realize she was being quite literal about her words :)**

**Thanks for the 2nd review as well and thanks for going into detail too!**

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OwlsCantReadchapter 4 .Jan 29

"It feels like a gut punch to have everything taken from our main characters at the drop of a beat. The scenes where both of them witness their families being slaughtered firsthand are very well done... and cruel. I could feel the despair and emotion emanating off of the two as the knowledge sunk in. If anything, I feel the buildup to the attack was lacking as it seemed to happen immediately.

The juxtaposition between playful Takari and her more vulnerable distraught side in this chapter is startling. If there's one thing of note, sticking with Nishir's POV means that we once again only have a superficial view of how Takari is reacting to the loss of her family, especially as Nishir's thoughts in the future scenes (and minor fourth wall breakage) imply that she ended up emotionally traumatised from the experience. With more focus on the present scene also leads to the establishment of the fact that our two orphans have been adopted by a new family. I do wonder how they managed to attain this goal."

**Ah, you thought the build up was lacking too, huh? Any ideas how I could have done it better? :) And yes... cruel is a good description.**

**The one issue of the first person perspective is my lack of ability to full portray the darkness in her mind as she copes. I can only show what Nishir can see and what she is ready to share with him. Naturally, I use Nishir's keen sense to my advantage and have him "guess" a mental state right if I truly needed an accurate description.**

**Yeah, I think chapter 4 and onward should make the amount of trauma obvious.**

**You'll learn about that in chapter 6 :)**

**Thanks for the review! :)**

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Guest chapter 5 .Jan 28

"Chapter 3: You handled the attack in this chapter as well as in your novelization of the original film. Rather than it being tonally jarring, the light foreshadowing and speed of the attack is reminiscent of just how fast tragedy can strike in real life. I like how you handle dark subject matter in your stories; relying primarily on tone and the emotions of your character while providing just enough visual information so readers can picture the scene themselves. Furthermore, the change in Nishir and Takagi's personalities felt very natural. They were still recognizable as themselves but thrust into a deadly situation where they are completely helpless without one another. A theme you elaborate on perfectly in chapter 4.

Chapter 4: this chapter truly shows the depth to which you understand your characters. It was heartbreaking to see them break down after the massacre in a sequence that could have come from the original film in regards to tone. Everything you wrote here is relatable from their mixed emotions of despair and anger to more subtle things like the feeling of not wanting to ruin the mental image you have of someone you love by seeing them deal with trauma. This chapter was marvelously executed and I cannot commend you enough for how you handled these two characters finding solace in one another during their lowest point. Now that Nishir's veneer of embarrassment towards Takari is gone, it will be interesting to see how they survive the aftermath together. Both physically and emotionally."

**Thank you very much! Since we've already had a rather long chat about these chapters during the proofreading process, I'll just say thanks for the review here! :)**

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OwlsCantRead chapter 5 . Feb 3

"Now that the horrifying climax of the attack has passed, this chapter focuses on the more low-key emotional impact of... well, depression. Takari is really dependent on Nishir, a huge role-reversal that really forces Nishir to take charge and put aside his discomfort.

I do like that how the flash-forwards are used in this chapter: it really shows the difference in Takari's mindset then and now. Her spunky behavior, which could be misconstrued as annoying in the earlier chapters, now almost seems like a relief. I did predict the withdrawn and traumatized behavior exhibited by Takari from clues in the previous chapter, but personally, I kinda expected for Takari to remain silent and suppress her feelings due to her personality. I also expected Takari to lash out more considering that Nishir seemed to have her somewhat in control considering that she lost her whole family, but I suspect that she is still stuck in the denial shock stage and will be doing something reckless in the next chapter.

The other thing I like is the present-day plotline with Greenie. It is interesting to see that the two friends' story is helping their new family possibly save another family from self-destruction. Again, I'm interested in Takari and Greenie's plotline in the future. :)"

**I'm glad that you like the time skips that I've used. In order for their depression and sorrow to develop and mature, time was needed after all. I did debate making Takari suppress her feelings (or for Nishir who is a lot easier to be sensitive to these things), however I eventually decided to go for a dual mode for her. During those times she isn't responsive, she is repressing them but it always breaks out again and then she cries in a heartbreaking fashion, the fact that she is repressing them at times just making it worse whenever it does break out. Geesh how did you know she would do something reckless :P**

**I'm glad that you've picked up on the Greenie storyline that I began to introduce with greater detail in the chapter above. Let's just say you've probably been waiting for chapter 6 if her story intrigues you :)**

**Thanks for the second review as well!**

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The Rhombus chapter 4 . Feb 4

"The third chapter begins with the horrific scenes of our two protagonists watching the desperate final battle of their herd against their inevitable demise. Here we see both the swiftness of the battle, and the growing horror of the protagonists as they see their families disappear before their eyes. This is a difficult balance to maintain in writing a scene (as the quickness of an ambush can sometimes mute the emotional impact) but I think that you have done well here. Afterwards, we now see a distinct change in the mannerisms of our protagonists as Takari, who is usually the outgoing one, is now frozen with fear due to both the horror of their loss, but also the instinctual drives of her kind. Between the instinctual drives of fight, flight, or freeze, she is right now stuck in freeze mode. It says a lot about his character that he is able to keep his wits together during this time; only breaking down some time later when the full reality of the situation sinks in. The swimmers finally saying their goodbyes is a poignant moment and one that hopefully will allow them to accept the journey that they now must make. They are all that remains of their old herd... so it is up to them to go on."

The Rhombuschapter 5 .Feb 4

"This chapter to me is where your understanding of these two characters really shines through. Both of them are struggling to deal with their loss in their own ways, but with Takari is clearly having a much more difficult time coping. Her previous carefree world has been utterly shattered with the loss of everything she cherished, apart from one friend. A loss can be more devastating to an optimist due to them never considering such a dark possibility, and this is well illustrated here. It also puts Takari's mannerism into perspective. She may act annoying at times and tease her friend, but now these antics seem like a manifestation of resilience despite loss as opposed to an annoying character trait. Now that Nishir and Takari are with each other at this, the rock bottom of their lives, it will be interesting to see how they overcome the challenges that await them and eventually arrive at the valley.

I must also echo Owls' words here. The Greenie aspect of the present story is a promising one indeed. It has some promise to help another deal with her loss, while also being an additional element which unites the past and present stories together.

I look forward to seeing how things develop from here. :)"

**Thank you for your thorough reviews :)**

**CHP3: I agree, it wasn't easy to write the ambush and I'm still not sure if it's perfect the way it is now. Due to the sheer chaos, I couldn't describe individual fights but rather just whatever Nishir's eyes were able to observe at that very moment, limiting myself to the most important things: Takari seeing her parents get overwhelmed and killed; Nishir seeing his siblings being hunted down brutally. I am glad that the emotional impact didn't drown in the chaos :)**

**Since others have pointed out issues with the transition into the ambush, perhaps have you also noticed something I could do better here?**

**Nishir seems weak initially but in the face of danger he shows his ability as others have pointed out as well. **

**CHP 4:**

**That is a big compliment, I am very glad to hear that you find my understanding of the characters to be very keen. I would like to quote a sentence from your review here because it is so so true. "_A loss can be more devastating to an optimist due to them never considering such a dark possibility," _**

**As I mentioned to Owls, chapter 6 is what you should be looking forward to reading if you're interested in Greenie's story :)**


	7. Chapter 6 - Greenie's grief, Raver's mis

**Before you read, be advised that the warning from chapter 5 still applies here. **

**Also, bring some time, it's 15k words in length :)**

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**Chapter 6: ****Greenie's grief, Raver's mistake **

The fact that none of the kids have interrupted this is testimony to how huge of an impact it must have had on them. Emi had taken a seat between Takari and me at some point and has been switching between hugging Takari and me from the side ever since. We (mostly me though) were telling them about the darkest part of our story and, perhaps, the biggest challenge life had ever thrown at us.

Zekir is wearing a rather blank expression, as if he is still trying to process the things he has just heard. Beakles, despite being the most mature of the bunch, is wearing an expression of disbelief and as for Raver…

...he is actually crying.

"**To think my friend… Greenie might be… feeling the same things… horrible, just… horrible…"**

That is all Raver can manage to say between his sobs and neither of the other kids seem to have any words left.

"Perhaps this was a little too dark for them?" I wonder, looking at Takari who seems to ponder about something too while patting a rather disturbed Emi on her small head.

"**Well, Raver understood what we had to go through; I don't think there's another way to get these abysmal feelings across. I think you're right but I'm sure this is only because they are still pure and innocent while we've seen the horrors of this world."**

I definitely have to agree with Takari.

"Indeed, I guess a harsh truth can sometimes be better than a false illusion but perhaps we need to make sure that the truth doesn't give them too many bad sleep stories?"

"**Leave that to me, Nishir. Your turn for Emi to hug you."**

Without another word, Takari gets up from her position to walk over to the three boys while little Emi snuggles up to me again as she has done a few times before during the story.

"Deciding without even asking me, that is so Takari, jeez…" I sigh half-jokingly as I devote myself to returning the gesture to my new little sister who already seems to have taken a liking to both of us despite the depressing tales that we continue to bring upon them. I'm not really trying to listen to the things Takari is talking about with the boys, instead looking over at the Bright Circle that's getting almost ready to disappear behind the endless body of water that is the Big Water.

To this day, I'm still not sure if Takari's idea of an afterlife is accurate or just a child's fantasy but, either way, it is a comforting thought, having a place, even if it's unreachable, where your loved ones are, watching over you day after day, watching you love and be loved, struggle and, most of all, enjoying life.

Emi eventually breaks my chain of thoughts by cuddling up to me even more. To my surprise, her face is no longer teary. The little swimmer is wearing a happy and content smile now.

"**I've always wanted an older brother and an older sister, hehehe,"** she explains with a giggle when I give her a questioning glance.

"You like to cuddle with others, don't you?" I tease her a little.

"**U-huh!" **she nods while giggling even more. Honestly, she is quite a clingy and adorable little swimmer but, after going through so much, just having someone to give you a hug so unconditionally means so extremely much to me. Therefore, I am sure to return at least some of the favor to the little goofball as I return the gesture once more.

"I guess you would be devastated if you ever lost someone dear to you, huh?" I ask her in a casual voice, not sure what to expect as a reaction yet but, thankfully, the little girl isn't as sensitive to the thought as I anticipated.

"**Of course I would; anyone would be sad if someone they love goes away,"** she answers matter-of-factly. "**But you two are giving me hope because, even if it does ever happen, there will be a day I can smile again and be happy. You are still sad but you can smile again and to smile means to be happy. If you can do that, so can I!"**

Emi's answer brings a broad smile to my face.

"Right on," I chuckle, giving her more headpats to which she responds by wagging her tail. _Having little siblings isn't as bad as I thought. They're cute and look up to you._ After being suppressed by Takari's winning streaks and constantly being ridiculed by my siblings for as long as I can remember, I'm rather used to feeling inferior to others. This is a rather pleasant development, I must say.

"**Nishir, Emi, come over here. Greenie is back."**

_Oh right…_ I have completely forgotten about her but now it springs back into my focus. We are here because Raver wanted to show us Greenie who had also suffered a terrible loss and, as a result, had lost all connection to reality, only living in a trance-like daydream (just like the one Takari would occasionally suffer from back then). It is so deep that she wouldn't care about bodily needs anymore. We had seen this first-hand when we found her sleeping in her own excrement just a little while ago.

Thankfully, Takari had never been that deep in a trance. I don't know if I would have had the mental strength to deal with that back then. Anyway, if it hadn't been for some elders of the residing herd looking after her, she would have likely died already. The elder who is looking after her today has apparently just returned, carrying a bundle wrapped in a large leaf (I'm guessing to prevent a similar mess in the future) to the entrance of the tunnel in the mountain that the girl used to isolate herself. She isn't any older than my new siblings, around 7-8 cold times, I would guess. _Maybe I should ask them at some point but now is not the time._

Emi follows me happily while humming a random tune (and being horribly out of tune at it) as I trot over to the rest. Whatever Takari had done, the gloomy mood had mostly been wiped from the three boys' faces, however Raver remains in a very anxious state. I can only guess that this anxiety is about Greenie or, rather, what is at display is the extend of his empathy for her, now that he can actually understand her.

"Looks like I was right not to complain about you taking the job without asking me about it first," I exclaim, our gazes meeting halfway as I try to tease her in some form despite knowing that Takari was as unteasable as a rock.

"**Well, between you and me I think I know pretty well how to handle boys," **Takari replies with a rather smug grin and I don't really feel like attempting a comeback when taking into consideration my odds of success. "**Besides, Nishir, I had a feeling Emi would prefer you, given how she is used to having brothers but not to having sisters and, my! It looks like I was right!"**

Emi and I exchange a confused glance before giggling at each other.

"I have no idea what you are talking about but, anyhow, shouldn't we go see Greenie now that she's been uhm… cleaned?"

"**Yeah, please…"** Raver mutters, his mental turmoil hard to overlook. Lead by the young boy, everyone is following, crossing the rocky plateau until the entrance of the tunnel is right on front of us. The elder has put the Greenie bundle to the ground, just so that she is leaning against a small rock that keeps her just about upright, allowing her eyes to focus on the spectacle on the sky that is about to unfold. After all, it's about time for the Bright Circle to call it a day - and probably for us as well.

"**Ah, I was about to ask you young folk for a little favor,"** the elder speaks up when he sees our little group arrive at the location, approaching us.

"**If possible, that is, I would love to have a little bite while you little ones have an eye on her. That'd work?" **Curiously, the old swimmer musters us.

"Sure, we uhh wanted to get to know Greenie a little and try to help her if possible."

I don't know how I found the courage to speak to a complete stranger but, I guess, a lot of things are changing for me at the moment.

"**I wish you the best of luck, children,"** he speaks with an appreciative smile, going on to give us a few more details we weren't particularly asking for. "**I've made sure to wrap it all around her this time by the way so there shouldn't be any worry about another mess. Still, considering she had another one just as I was bathing her just now…"**

I'm not listening to the old swimmer anymore, being suddenly reminded of the fact that Greenie, in the most literal sense, has been reduced to the state of a newborn hatchling. She is so helpless that, if left on her own, she would surely perish one way or another. It is giving me a very funny feeling, reducing my hope to reach the little girl significantly.

Takari has had long periods of complete mental absence during which she had been completely unresponsive but Greenie is taking this to the extreme. If I already couldn't reach Takari during those times, then how am I supposed to succeed reaching her? Or Raver for that matter, although he hasn't had the experience with Takari that I had, an experience I wish I'd never have to make to be frank.

On another note, as I vaguely overhear the elder regret having her drink too much water, I feel reminded of Takari befalling the same fate on that fateful day, feeling a little shameful about actually being amused by this in retrospect. Finally, he is changing the topic so I'm tuning in again.

"**... Anyway, she seems a little less docile than usual. Maybe your chances aren't too bad today. Well, I'll be off to a meal then. Good luck!"**

I sigh in relief as the elder leaves for his dinner and so does everyone else.

"**What a **_**shitty**_ **conversation…"** I hear Beakles rant in a light attempt to brighten the mood but, looking around me, I don't think it has worked. Apparently, I am not the only one feeling a little sad at seeing Greenie in this toddler state of existence. Since the girl wouldn't know any of us, I gesture at Raver to start approaching her. Raver seems very upset and uneasy but he responds to my mute plea to try and talk to her. Slowly, he walks up to her until kneeling down in front of her.

"**Gr-Greenie?" **I can tell from Raver's reaction that she isn't showing any signs of life aside from heartbeat and breath. Quite frankly, Raver looks like he's about to start crying again. I know this is hard on him but none of us could make that first step. At the very least, he'd have to introduce us to her. Even though chances are slim that anything we'd say actually registers in her mind, it'd still be rude not to make introductions - or give Raver a chance to reconnect with his old friend after not seeing her for so long.

"**Hey… you don't recognize me, do you? I-I'm your good friend Raver, remember?"**

Seeing Raver at the brink of tears when Greenie fails to make any signs of being aware of her surroundings, I decide to help him a little. Quickly, I exchange a questioning glance with Takari who replies with a 'go ahead' gesture. Getting to my feet (we had all squatted down a little distance behind Greenie where she couldn't see us) I am slowly tiptoeing closer.

"Mind telling us a little about Greenie, Raver?" I prompt, immediately receiving a thumbs-up gesture from Takari who is quite apparently impressed by my tact or whatever really. "What kind of swimmer has she been before… well, this?"

Raver seems to be a little hesitant at first, glancing over at his siblings a few times before he makes up his mind at last.

"**I still remember meeting her about a cold time ago," **he begins, trying to look at Greenie, wrapped up almost entirely in the huge leaf, so much actually that she couldn't move around if she wanted to, not that she was making any signs of discomfort. It seems to bring him great pain, however, so, instead, he looks far away at the distant horizon where the Bright Circle is just about ready to sink beyond it.

"**She was being harassed by some bullies which pissed me off. Five boys taking on a girl, can't go more spine-less than that, right? Anyway, so I ran in and gave them my opinion on it."**

"**Oh, is that how you got the bloody cut all over your forehead back then?"** Beakles interrupts him, apparently amused at this.

"**And what if it was?" **Raver grunts in irritation though he is no longer feeling sad as far as I can tell. "**You try fighting five guys at once, I'm sure your fine beak wouldn't be quite as fine after that!"**

_In all seriousness, he needs to teach me how to make good retorts one day…_

"**Either way…"** Raver continues as if the interruption had never occurred. "**She felt bad about me getting hurt because of her and actually tried to find me. Couple days later, we met for real and became friends soon after."**

"**What kind of girl was she prior to the incident?" **Takari asks with a tactful expression.

"**She was really shy and quiet, with a hang for drama too,"** Raver responds promptly and it seems that he's actually quite liking the storyteller role. "**And above all, she's a real crybaby sometimes. I mean… I suppose that's how these bullies were always able to pick on her. Anyway, despite being a lot different from me, we got along very well and, uhm…"**

"**You started to like her?"** Apparently, I'm not the only one who noticed that Beakles and Zekir were just eager for an opportunity to tease their brother. Takari beat them to it, thankfully.

"**Oh, does that matter?!" **Raver shouts but his blushing was hard not to notice. _Is this how I always look when Takari… _That is when I notice a certain swimmer giving me a very knowing glance.

"W-what?!" I blurt out in her direction, only to be approached by her, wearing a devious grin.

"**Oh, nothing. I just felt… reminded of someone I know."**

"And who might that be…" I grunt through gritted teeth, causing the girl to laugh at my expense.

"**Anyway, Raver, I can tell that you like her,"** Takari continues as if nothing had happened. "**After all, I know for a fact that a certain someone also takes a liking for me but he'll blush at the sliiiightest mention of it and would **_**never**_ **admit it. You're blushing by the way, Nishir."**

_Urgh, I know Takari! Just leave me alone now, we need to focus on getting Greenie to wake up from her trance! _

"**N-not that it matters but… yes, I might like her a bit… now shut up, okay?!"**

I almost feel sorry for Raver for being under siege by not one but three dinosaurs trying to tease him and the worst is yet to come.

"**So, when can we expect the eggs to hatch?" **Zekir wonders, Beakles giggling in a silly way as that brutal taunt is launched. _Well, I guess he's not quite as mature as I thought on second thought…_Feeling sorry for Raver who is turning red with anger this time around, I decide to offer a few words of support.

"Hey Raver, perhaps we should just move out? These teasing monsters are too much for me to handle, I swear…"

That was probably the first time I ever landed a joke that genuinely worked on Takari as she, along with everyone else, starts laughing hysterically. _Geez, not even a day in and we're already bantering like siblings with each other._ It makes me hopeful that the coming time in the new family, while probably filled with obnoxious teasing on several frontlines, won't be a bad time at all.

As to demonstrate my new-found allegiance with Raver, I walk up to him and pose next to him in a protective/aggressive manner which prompts even more laughter. At this point, I do not even mind that it is probably on my expense as always. I am just about to join the laughter myself, since it feels so refreshing to be silly after all the harsh times…

… when I notice Raver's expression freeze, him being fixated on Greenie all of a sudden. Curious, I glance over to the little swimmer. For a moment, it seems as if she has moved in her little cocoon of leaves. After doubletaking, I am certain of it. As if in slow-motion, her arms move to her ears until they are covering them as if to shelter herself from the laughter that is still ongoing. Quickly, I raise my hand to signal to the others to calm down.

**"Greenie?" **Raver's faint voice addresses the little swimmer. I haven't heard him using such a soft voice yet which is testimony to the relationship these two must have shared before Greenie lost her mother. The boy moves back into Greenie's field of vision, kneeling down in front of her. Everyone is suddenly very quiet and, although I can tell that Zekir and Beakles aren't particularly interested in this, they still possess the decency not to disturb right now.

**"Greenie, can you hear me?! It's me, Raver, remember?!" **Raver is removing Greenie's hands from her ears so the girl would be able to hear, not letting go of them afterwards. I'm getting a little closer to the scene myself and so does Takari though both of us remain out of sight and quiet as a very heartfelt conversation develops.

**"R-Raver?" **I have no clue how we managed to wake Greenie from her eternal trance but, putting that aside, her voice has a very quiet and meek quality to it which works very well with the description of her character Raver has given us just a moment ago.

**"Greenie!" **I'm hearing some muffled gasps behind me as Raver, probably without considering his siblings' presence, pulls Greenie close to him to embrace her leaf cocoon while tears erupt from his eyes. **"You're back, I'm so glad!" **

Already, I'm kind of expecting a happy end, however I may have spoken too soon.

**"What do you mean? I've been here this entire time; it's not like I particularly want to be here though." **

I exchange an alarmed glance with Takari. The girl's voice, while still retaining the quiet and sweet tone it naturally seems to have, is completely monotone and devoid of emotion. I have never heard Takari speak in such a fashion but, certainly, I know of the mental state she is in right now. _She's just like Takari back then, I can tell from a glance and I don't like it at all! _

**"If you'd really cared about me, you'd have visited me." **

I feel really bad for Raver at the moment. All the girl has left for him is indifference and I can't tell if Raver will be able to see through her.

**"Why, I did visit you but…" **Raver retorts weakly, however he looks defeated as he finishes the reply. **"You never said a thing when I talked to you. At some point, I had given up, thinking there's no point in visiting if you never reply!" **

**"Then why are you here now?" **The sheer amount of indifference in the little swimmer's voice is crushing me a little. What terrors must she have gone through to have arrived at such a state of mind. Not even Takari had gone so far; even during her darkest hours she was still full of emotions, overwhelmed by them, in fact. But Greenie… it almost seems to me like she has no emotion left in her.

**"I only bothered to pay attention because your stupid laughter pissed me off. Like there's anything to laugh about…"**

_So that's how we got her to become aware of her surroundings? _

**"I came here today because…" **Raver is shouting at first but then, I'm guessing, he realizes that he doesn't want to be yelling at his friend, toning down to some degree. **"It's a bit of a long story but… I think I finally understand." **

**"If you understood anything at all, you wouldn't be here. Just leave me alone." **

You have no idea how glad I am for Takari to have never been this unreasonable. Raver seems to be on the brink of collapse after repeatedly being shrugged off by his friend so I deduce it is dire time for me to enter the conversation.

"Raver, would it be okay if I took over?" I ask him kindly, offering an apologetic look.

**"I'll help too," **Takari offers, stepping up. I exchange a glance with her.

"Considering her mental condition, let's not mention anything to her about your darker hours," I whisper in her direction and she nods approvingly.

**"Yeah, it seems she hasn't considered doing anything like that yet; we'd better not introduce her to the thought though …" **Takari replies darkly. Together, we approach Greenie. As I'm passing a desolate Raver, at the brink of tearing up, I'm giving him a quick pat on the head as if to say 'it'll be alright' though that is something I couldn't promise him even if I wanted to. How did you reason with someone who had abandoned her own body and emotions and didn't even know you on top of that? Was such a thing even possible to begin with? Well, that aside, I owe Raver a serious attempt at least. A little uncertain, I enter Greenie's field of vision, sitting down in front of her as Takari positions herself to my right.

**"Who are you and what do you want? Don't you see that I don't care anymore?" **

"Hello Greenie, I'm Nishir and this is Takari," I quickly introduce her, Takari attempting to smile at the girl which obviously didn't earn her any sympathy. "We'd like to have a little chat because I think we might be able to understand your feelings." I gesture over to Takari, prompting her to explain.

**"Greenie, we heard about your mother from Raver. Truth is, we just arrived here after losing our entire families to fastbiters and we went through so many hardships. We're orphans, just like you, see? When we heard about your story…" **

"... We thought we should help you… cope," I finish the thought Takari has explained excellently. "What do you think about it?"

**"Don't bother," **Greenie says, seemingly paying hardly any attention to the two of us. **"Do I look like I'm about to start crying any moment? I don't need your help. I don't need anything because I already found what I'm looking for." **

_What is she talking about? _

**"Would you mind telling me what it is that you're referring to, Greenie?" **Takari requests formally before I get a chance to voice my own confusion. **"Look, there was a time after I lost everything when I thought I knew what I wanted to do to escape the pain of losing my loved ones, only to realize that I was wrong. I thought I had found what I was looking for but, in truth, I just wanted to escape." **

_Vague enough not to mention it directly but still getting a point across, brilliant Takari! _

**"I don't care about you, don't bother me with your stupid stories and leave me alone." **

_My, this will be more difficult than I thought… _

"When you say you have found what you're looking for, is it some sort of place that you visit whenever you're unresponsive?" I prompt her and, it seems, she is taking the bait.

**"Yes I do. I'm spending my time in the place where she has gone to."**

_So she is stuck in some sort of deep daydream; I wonder if it was similar for Takari…_

**"It's inconvenient though; as long as my body is still here, I can only exist as a spirit there. I want to feel her warm embrace again. If only these stupid elders just quit feeding me and just leave me alone but I have no control over this body while I'm there…"**

I feel myself swallow hard as the girl finishes her explanation. _She is obviously in the same place as Takari on that day but… it seems she is still too innocent to realize that there are much easier ways to achieve what she is attempting by simply abandoning herself to the point of starving. We have to make sure that she never learns about these while she has this mindset… _

"So… in other words…" I stammer, trying not to word it wrong. "You're visiting the world of the dead all this time, correct?"

**"Yep and I'd like to return there now," **she tells me rather bluntly.

_Hey, don't make me look like a villain..._

"And you don't notice a thing around you while you're there, right?"

**"I do notice but I just don't care what happens to me here. Traveling there as well as returning here is extremely arduous so I've gotten used to various things like feeling hungry and thirsty, having an itch or having the smell of my own excrement in my nose. I'm just waiting for the day I can fully go there to be reunited with her." **

Takari's face has taken a different colour as she is staring at the little swimmer in complete shock. I can only imagine the things going through her mind right now but, either way, it looks like I'll have to talk to her without Takari supporting me for a while.

"Has there uhm… been a time when you couldn't visit that place anymore?" I puzzle. It is such an awkward conversation to begin with but I have to keep her talking for now while we have the chance to learn what is going on in her mind and while she is content with taking part in the conversation - or at the very least not strictly opposed to it.

**"It took a while to reach it," **she explains cryptically.

"Were you crying a lot at first?"

I think at this point, she finally begins to see through my attempts to keep her talking.

**"How much longer do I have to endure this? Mother must be getting worried because I am gone for so long…" **

Suddenly, Takari gets to her feet, covering her face with her arms and leaving without a word. Perplexed, my eyes follow her as she hurries away, probably to cry somewhere. She is still much more vulnerable to episodes of sorrow than I am and I can only imagine how Greenie's talk might have triggered bad memories to surface. I can see the other three siblings follow her but Raver who remains nearby, although looking no less pale than Takari did a moment ago.

**"What was that about?" **Greenie grunts in irritation.

"Losing someone never ceases to hurt; seeing you the way you are probably reminded her of something sad," I explain with a bit of a sigh.

**"I can tell you weren't lying about it but why are you happy? Shouldn't you be forever sad after losing everyone?" **

It seems Greenie is actually willing to talk a little more. Maybe I can actually manage to get her to understand something very important that Takari and I only learned the hard way.

"It's true that we never cease to miss the loved ones we lose but please listen for a little bit, Greenie, if you are curious how I can smile again today."

**"I'd rather return to the other world." **

_Ah, I guess she would. She's so brutally honest, just like Takari had been back then… _

"Still, aren't you going to give it a try?" I insist with a curious glance at her. "You could have just gone back all this time but you stayed here and answered our questions patiently."

_And grumpily… _

**"That's not how it works…" **she corrects me and for the first time I feel like there is a hint of a sad emotion detectable in her voice. **"I need to be able to concentrate until my mind can be freed from my body but it won't work with all this commotion here…" **

"S-sorry about that," I apologize to her but, obviously, since she doesn't really have any emotions left, she also wouldn't hold it against me, right?

**"Fine, I'll listen. Just don't expect me to care about it."**

"Thank you," I tell her and I really couldn't be asking for any more right now. Preparing myself, I begin telling her a heavily shortened version of our story.

"I used to live in a small secluded valley together with Takari and my family in a small herd. Like this island, it was shut off from the surrounding world by large mountains and the Big Water so it was about as safe a place as you could imagine. However, we weren't aware of a secret passage. As Takari mentioned back when we introduced ourselves, Fastbiters used it to sneak in and we had to witness with our very eyes how our loved ones were hunted down and brutally slaughtered. Did you see your mother uhm… you know?"

**"Does it matter?" **Greenie questions with indifference and I'm beginning to get accustomed to it as part of her character, not that I'm approving of it.

"Uh, well… yes," I reply nervously. "You see, seeing it happen in front of our very eyes added a lot to the pain, especially for Takari… we're still seeing it happen in our sleep stories a lot…"

Greenie is quiet for a bit, for the first time actually pondering about a response rather than saying whatever is on her mind spontaneously. Patiently, I wait until she makes the decision.

"**I did see it**…" she eventually answers and the way her voice has suddenly become a lot quieter suggests that some emotions still linger somewhere deep down in her heart. Perhaps, she hasn't discarded all of them yet? If I could tickle them out of her, maybe it would be possible to redeem her and make her care about herself again?

"If it's not too much to ask… could you tell me how it happened?"

"**Are you a bully?"** she immediately deadpans at my question. "**Are you planning to make a poor little girl cry?"**

_Is she trying to make me feel like a bad guy now?_

"**I've cried my fair share for an entire life, I need no more of it."**

"So have I," I immediately reply to her statement. "Same goes for Takari and she still cries a lot sometimes. But she's also laughing and making fun of me again, just like she used to before all of this happened to us. Either way, I take it you aren't going to tell me?"

"**No," **she states rather resolutely but something is still on her mind. "**I want to forget what my eyes saw on that day so don't remind me of it again. It hurts."**

"Yes it does indeed…" I sigh profoundly. "The pictures of my half-eaten siblings as they lay grotesquely in the grass will never leave me…" A short wave of sadness passes but I have dealt with this one too many times to break into tears on the spot, composing myself within a few seconds.

"Well, I suppose I should go on. Takari and I were forced to hide in a dark cavern day and night since our home was swarming with fastbiters. We were crying all the time and extremely depressed. Sometimes, Takari wouldn't reply to me just like you do most of the time; I was really worried about her. I don't know what I would have done if she had died too. I could only bear it… because she was there."

I attempt to underline this statement by raising my voice and speaking very slowly, making a dramatic pause to let it sink in. I can't tell if Greenie picked up my intention though, certainly she has no comment on her beak.

"Eventually, I went exploring and found the secret passage to the outside. After a long and perilous journey, I arrived here, knowing I had distant relatives on this island. My relatives were no longer alive but their descendants took me in without much of a question and Takari as well. You see, despite losing my entire family, I am glad that I didn't give up when all I could think of was despair and hopelessness. Now, I have a family again, I've already started taking a liking to Raver and his siblings as well as this island. Things are improving and I can smile again because I persevered and didn't give up, protected Takari and had the courage to venture outside and try to find this island. If Takari and I were able to do it, I was wondering…"

Greenie looks at me with an expression impossible to read since there isn't much expression in her face to begin with but, subtly, I think she is considering what I had just told her.

"**Are you trying to tell me I should leave the place I found where my mother is? Are you trying to tell me I should live in the real world again?"**

A bit more than subtly, I begin to feel actual anger radiate off the little girl. With slight worry, I proceed with caution.

"Well, I'm just saying, it's too early to give up on life, I think. You never know uhm… what life has in store for you. You might never know if one day… something terrific would have happened in your life. I wouldn't have thought I could be this happy again like… ever. But now I am."

...but, apparently, I haven't been cautious enough.

"**So what if I don't want to wait for some random happiness to happen to me? What do you want to hear? Me saying 'oh I'm happy for you, maybe it'll happen to me too one day'?"**

Now she is acting really snappy and even though she couldn't harm me even if she wanted to, I still take a few steps back.

"**You are fine with being adopted and betraying your old family? Fine! I don't want any of that; I'll be wherever my mother is because she is all family that I have! And if that's somewhere else than here, well why am I wasting my time with you?"**

Raver described her as rather shy and quiet, didn't he? I'm finding a hard time believing him right now and, a quick glance in his direction confirms that he is just as surprised and irritated by her sudden outburst.

"**Why would I want to be anywhere where nobody even cares about me? It's pointless!"**

Greenie is at the brink of tears now as emotions she had long since suppressed begin to resurface. I realize that I should intervene.

"Some dinosaurs do care about you," I state matter-of-factly. "For starters, would I be bothering to talk to you if I didn't care? Would Raver's siblings come along if they didn't care about you? Would that elder bother to wash your poop-stained, horribly smelly body with his own two hands if he didn't care about you?

"**I don't care about them and I don't care about you either and, besides, you only do because Raver is now your brother or whatever!"**

"You're only half-right," I correct her with a small smile though she just continues to give me an irritated and slightly angry stare. "I wouldn't be here if Raver hadn't told me about you and your condition, however I'm not doing it because Raver asked me to specifically. Rather… I'm doing it because I know of the darkness that has taken hold of your heart, Greenie. It seems inescapable at first but where there's darkness there's always a light, just like the Bright Circle returns day after day to share its light with us, chasing the darkness of the night away with its bright rays."

She continues to stare angrily in my direction. Apologetically, I carry on.

"It's… kind of like that. For me, that light was Takari's company. It was just a small one but it burned just bright enough for me to carry on. And now there are many new lights to make my life bright again."

"**Well sorry for not having anyone to be my light or whatever!" **

She practically yells at me now but I know better than to feel hurt about it.

"**My only light has always been my mother and ever since that day there hasn't been a single light in my life anymore! You must be sadistic for wanting to keep me here where everything is pitch-black!"**

"Raver was a good friend of yours, wasn't he?" I carry on as if I hadn't heard her rant. Tears are now flowing down her cheeks and her voice is close to breaking but now is really not the time to be tactful. If I don't make my point awfully clear now, I'll probably just end up making things worse for her and that is truly not my intention.

"He may not have shown it but he truly does care about you, so much, in fact, that, after learning about the darkness that has engulfed your heart and finally being able to understand your feelings, he started crying for you - and he's by far not the type to cry as far as I can tell!"

I vaguely feel Raver's stare in my neck, reprimanding me for saying such embarrassing things about him.

"You know, I think he could be your light, just like Takari had been mine. If only… you gave him a chance."

"**Maybe he's my friend but what is a mere friend compared to a loving mother?! It just doesn't compare!"**

Greenie is covering her eyes now as large tears come oozing out of them, as if they had been stored there for an eternity only to break free now. I can't help but agree with her statement to a certain degree. Takari is very important to me but, a friend, even a good one like Takari simply doesn't fit on the scale when comparing it to the amount of love and appreciation one has for family. With a slightly different mindset though, maybe Greenie could still give Raver a chance to be a serious help?

Speaking of Raver, he has gotten to his feet with a rather pissed off expression as soon as he has heard Greenie utter "mere friend" so I'm extra anxious about that now as well.

"If you have nothing, a mere friend can still become someone who can save you, Greenie. He can be someone to make life without your loved ones just about bearable and be there when you need to cry. He can also become your loved one one day when you're older, you know?"

Unfortunately, for everyone involved, Greenie decides just in this crucial moment to act unreasonable.

"**Oh leave me alone with this crap! All I ever need is m-my m-mother a-and I know w-w-where she is!"**

Now she is crying loudly into the palms of her small hands. Raver is approaching us now.

"**I d-d-don't n-need you, g-go away!"**

"**God you piss me off!"**

Raver has arrived and, judging from his furious expression and his harsh words, nothing good is about to happen. I try to gesture over to him to let her be but he angrily shoves me aside despite being a lot smaller, grabbing Greenie's hands so that her eyes would be looking at him before starting to bark at her.

"**Fine, if you don't need me then sorry for ever crying for you, sorry for visiting day after day even though you wouldn't talk to me, sorry for taking a beating on your behalf from those bullies, sorry for ever caring about you! Idiot!"**

"Raver!" I exhale sharply but the boy is furious, ignoring my warning in its entirety.

"**It's your goddamn wish is to be with your mother, right? Well, she's DEAD but you're still HERE. You're stupid if you think they'll let you starve yourself 'till you die; that's how much even some stupid elders care about your sorry ass, Greenie!"**

"Raver stop, you're going too far! She's your friend!" I cry at the furious boy but Raver wouldn't even take his eyes off Greenie who, if anything, was crying even harder now that she was under fire from Raver. _If that idiot goes any further, he might ruin everything!_

"**Don't complain about us making you suffer because you're just making yourself suffer by refusing to listen and refusing to be sincere about your goddamn desires! If you don't want my help, fine, if you don't want anyone's help, fine! Just stop being a burden to everyone and use your brain for once to join your stupid mother instead of wasting your time and ours as well! Maybe I should have just let those bullies beat you to a pulp after all! I-idiot!"**

Crying, Raver suddenly starts running away from the scene. I am too shocked by his outburst and it happened so fast that I didn't pick up the message behind Raver's words until repeating them another two times in my mind.

_Wait a second, did he just… oh Raver you're such a… urgh!_

Stirred by the commotion, the elder has returned to the scene now, mustering me with a curious gaze. Takari and Raver's siblings are also approaching us from the distance.

"We managed to talk to her somehow but Raver just had a big disagreement with her over something, they're still young and stupid kids, ehehehe," I laugh nervously at the elder but, deep inside, I am actually furious. I had been awfully careful not to mention anything like it but that blockhead just casually encouraged her to do just what we are trying so sincerely to prevent! I would need to have a serious word with him whenever I got hold of him but, for now, we have to limit the damage. Greenie is weeping, all these repressed emotions flowing out of her now. It is a pitiful sight, one I wish I didn't have to see.

"**Well, what did you learn?"** the elder asks, Takari (apparently she has calmed down but still looks a little shaken) and the others joining just in time to hear my condensed report. The elder takes the information, especially everything the girl had said about his care, with a grain of salt and thanks me for sharing the information as well as watching over the girl during his absence.

Before we leave, I quickly consider going back to Greenie to apologize about Raver but decide against it eventually. _This is something you will have to iron out yourself, Raver… and it will be your responsibility if something bad happens because of this…_

* * *

"**That went well, huh?"** Takari nudges me as we make our way back down from the plateau, realizing it's a lot more tricky to climb down without losing footing and sliding down the steep path. "**You deliberately didn't mention to the elder what exactly Raver said to her, right? I was still… crying a little bit when that happened so I wasn't particularly listening…"**

"I'll answer in a second, Takari," I promise her but there is also something that makes me curious just now. "Why did you cry? She reminded you of something bad?"

Takari doesn't reply immediately and I can tell that she still isn't quite over it and that I would probably see her cry more when we'd lie down to sleep. Only after some time, she answers in a quiet voice.

"**I feel so sorry for her, you know? It's like… she forgot how to be sad, only existing, forgetting how to **_**feel…**_ **It broke me a little to see her like that. And I thought I was pathetic…"**

"Well, thanks to Raver and also thanks to me, I suppose, she, at least, is showing her feelings right now. Whether or not that is a good thing, we'll see…" Greenie's wailing could still be heard even as we'd almost made it back down from the mountain.

"As for Raver…" I quickly double check if it's safe to mention it since I don't exactly want any of our new siblings to be listening in. Luckily, they are engaged in a conversation a little further ahead so I continue with a huge sigh. "Basically, he got triggered by something mean Greenie had said while trying to defend her reasons for not wanting to uhh… you know… Basically, he confronted her with a lot of stuff and bad words but that's not nearly the worst…"

"**What else did he say?" **Takari inquires quietly.

"Encouraged her to join her mother," I reply darkly. Takari's expression changes as suddenly as a flash of lightning.

"**What?!" **she hisses just about quiet enough not to draw attention.

"He didn't say it directly but he worded it clear enough for Greenie to understand, I think," I explain. "I think he started to feel betrayed when Greenie said she didn't need him - nor anyone for that matter. I've been explaining to her how I am able to smile today but she accepted very little of it, I'm afraid. This will be tough…"

"**Where is Raver right now?"** Takari demands in a passive-aggressive tone and I can understand its source all too well.

"Ran away," I shrug at her. "By the time I had realized the meaning behind his words, he had already disappeared into the jungle over where that river was flowing. But he's got to get home by the time it gets dark which is anytime soon. I'll talk to him; you have enough to worry about as it is."

"**Good grief, hardly a day here and there's already drama happening. Maybe we shouldn't have meddled?"**

"Yes maybe but… can it get any worse for Greenie? She's all alone and lost her will to live, just losing herself in illusions and daydreams and the like. What she needs is someone that's important to her here in the real world, someone she can talk to whenever she's sad, someone to offer their shoulder for her to cry on. That kinda stuff."

"**Someone like you, then?"**

If this is an attempt of Takari to tease me, then it's awful.

"If she doesn't even accept Raver who is arguably her best friend - to our knowledge, then why would she accept me? Don't be silly!"

"**I was just thinking, you're not half bad at being such a 'someone'..."**

_Ehh?_

Takari suddenly walks a lot closer to me so I start feeling a little uncomfortable.

"E-either way!" I exclaim brusquely to wrap up the awkward conversation that was evolving and bring it back on topic. "If we want to help Greenie, she needs to accept help, accept Raver… accept us…"

"**As long as she's like this, we hardly have a chance, huh? She'll just shrug us off again if we try again, right?"**

"That's… what I'm afraid of," I tell her in all honesty.

As we enter the tight jungle again, my thoughts linger on Greenie's daydreams for a while.

_Now that I think about it, they almost seem too crazy to be believable. Could someone really give up on themselves to such a degree that they'd be able to visit the realm of the dead? Hasn't she made all of this up, rather? It's too absurd to believe! It's probably just her making all of this up, isn't it?_

At a loss, I decide to ask Takari.

"Say, you've had these trances too, right? Greenie explained hers but I can't quite seem to believe everything…"

"**I know, I didn't really think she was being completely honest with us either but she said it too naturally to be entirely made up."**

"Yeah…" I reply with a sigh. As we walk a little deeper into the jungle, still following our siblings further ahead, another thoughts enters my mind.

"What were your trances like, Takari? Did you also…"

"**Actually, "**the girls speaks up with a far-away glance. "**I don't remember anything from these episodes. Like, nothing whatsoever. Maybe I had simply shut down due to the shock?"**

"Who knows…" I sigh contently. "At least, you didn't get stuck in it for too long… I couldn't have dealt with you if you'd been acting like Greenie all this time…"

"**Right, it's horrible, isn't it?" **the girl agrees. "**I hope we can help her some day."**

"Yeah…" _But first Raver needs to come back to his senses!_

* * *

With mixed feelings, we eventually find our way back to our new home. As if by some gut feeling, I have a bad hunch which unfortunately confirms itself as we arrive at last while dusk spreads over the little island.

_Raver isn't here!_

We're all having dinner quietly, wondering where Raver might have gone to but, even as the Night Circle begins to peek through the trees, he still hasn't returned. Zekir, Beakles and Emi have gone to their respective scrapes in the ground where they are all sleeping by themselves in no time. Emi makes sure to give us a good-night hug before doing so. Of course neither Takari nor me have any spot to sleep at yet so we are improvising for now, choosing a particularly soft spot in the grass that is growing right next to the river bordering the territory of our new family. Back then, my family would always sleep in a huge pile huddled together so this sight of everyone sleeping by themselves with their parents (who aren't home yet) is a tad unusual for me.

Much to my surprise, Takari doesn't cry again. She is snoring contently next to me, just about far enough not to feel any awkwardness. Now that we are more emotionally stable, it seems we're more and more falling back into old habits. Takari and I have had many moments spent huddled together for mutual support and we'd even fell asleep like that a few times. Just thinking about it now, it's making my face feel very warm from embarrassment. For a little while, I watch her sleep completely at peace, her breath going in a calm, steady rhythm, her body gently rising and sinking. I can't help but think that she looks very adorable while she sleeps though that thought swiftly brings another wave of embarrassment and I quickly steer my thoughts elsewhere.

Supported by the gentle sound of water flowing over a rocky riverbed right next to me, I'm feeling unusually tranquil despite the unrest inside of me. My first day as part of this family has been a lot of fun but it has also left me which many things to ponder about, preventing me from finding rest. For one thing, there's the issue of Raver who still hasn't returned home but there's also my new foster parents to shed a thought about. Their scrape is also still cold and empty despite the daylight having vanished entirely (how did the kids go to sleep without even trying to exploit this? My siblings would have tried _any_thing, me included!).

I have only met them briefly during the adoption ceremony earlier today. They're distant relatives of my parents though I had never quite understood just how we were even related in the first place. Nevertheless, they have taken us in without a second thought and, now that I question this a little more thoroughly, I can understand their readiness to do so. My foster father has just become a herd deputy, thus being busy with his herd duties for much of the day while my foster mother has the role of being the "egg advisor" or whatever that role would be called in our new herd. Considering the fact that it is breeding season, she also must have her hands full with no one to watch the kids. _Kind of convenient to have two new older siblings to have an eye on them, huh? Not that I'm complaining at all._

Expanding the thought a little bit, it is a task, while being unofficial yet, that I'm quite ready to do and, I think, I might also be decent at it. Despite being on the upper end of childhood physically, I am mentally a grown-up now, with my innocence and carefreeness gone and my thinking a lot more mature than before the incident. Already, I am beginning to adapt to the role of being a big brother which also includes being the one to lecture them if someone (a certain little swimmer suddenly flashes in front of my inner eye) were to act naughty or do something wrong. I think I might be a rather decent fit for the job and Takari seems to enjoy her role as the big sister too.

It doesn't change the fact that I do dread the eventual conversation that, as a new big brother, I will have to have with Raver at some point. Preferably soon.

Around an hour after the Night Circle made its appearance on the sky, my foster parents finally arrive at the nest, looking tired and exhausted from a long day. Both are very kind swimmers from what I can tell and I immediately get to my feet as soon as I see their silhouettes against the clear night sky. The fact that Raver's nest is still empty doesn't remain lost on them and they patiently listen as I give them a brief summary of what had transpired and why it had happened.

As it seems, they are also very understanding and assure me while thanking for the report that it wouldn't be the first time for Raver to sleep away from the nest without further notice. Since there are no predators on the island (and you've got to believe me, Takari and I asked at least a dozen times if it was really safe here), they aren't particularly worried but still ask me to remind him of it if that it would have consequences next time. I wish them a good night before returning to Takari who was still snoozing peacefully.

"Maybe I should just try to sleep?" I quietly talk to myself, lying down in an attempt to calm down but sleep just wouldn't come. The matter with Greenie just wouldn't leave me at peace and I can't help but worry about her taking the hint Raver had hurled at her so brutally.

_He probably said all these things because he loves her, because he cares about her so much that he is tired of seeing her suffer too. Didn't I kind of feel like that too when I started yelling at Takari back then?_

My thoughts are interrupted when the sound of twigs and leaves rustling under someone's feet reaches my ears. At first am I anxious, however I quickly realize that I have nothing to fear as the one responsible for it reveals themself soon.

It's Raver.

"**Nishir, a-are you awake?"**

Raver is heading straight for me and, for a moment, I seriously ponder to pretend that I am asleep indeed, however Raver is the reason I cannot sleep and the fact that he is looking for me now probably is a good sign that he might be reasoned with now.

"I happen to be," I answer him eventually, using a very reserved tone as anything else would be horribly inappropriate, given that it is in the middle of the night. "What do you want?"

I turn around, my body no longer facing towards Takari as I face a very nervous and sheepish version of Raver, fidgeting around with his crest as he tries to approach me with the right words.

"**Uhh… well… you see…I…"**

"Let's take a walk," I suggest as I realize that Raver was feeling awfully nervous, dropping the reserved tone to be less intimidating in his eyes. Raver doesn't object so I take him on a walk on the only path through the forest that I already know - towards the mountain. After walking a few minutes in utter silence, passing a few sleeping families here and there, Raver finally finds his tongue.

"**Are you mad at me?"**

I halt in my tracks as the boy addresses me rather shyly. I could vaguely recall feeling similar whenever I had to apologize for mischief I had caused in the past. As such, I know the extreme nervousness that Raver must probably be feeling right now. Despite indeed being a little mad it him, decide to be less confronting about the matter for now.

"I see you've realized what you've done, Raver, haven't you?" Raver gives a shy nod as I confront him about his misbehavior as objectively as possible. "Whether or not I'm mad at you isn't important now, it's Greenie you need to worry about, not me. I'm old enough not to take an outburst like that personal but you were awfully quick to take her words literal…"

"**I'm sorry, Nishir," **he admits in a downcast voice, a single tear escaping his eyes as he tries to explain. "**The words just came to me before I could stop myself. Even though I can understand Greenie's sorrow now, I just couldn't understand why she wouldn't even want my company and I still can't! What should I do now, Nishir?" **He is looking at me with an almost begging expression. "**Truth is, I don't want to lose her as a friend but, considering that she doesn't even want to live… it's maddening…"**

"At least we're on the same page then," I mention as my hand reaches out to give him a light pat on the head. "I accept your apology and I'm glad that you came here to talk. I also agree that Greenie's current behavior is… hard to accept."

"**Could you tell me what I should do now? I… just don't know what to do…" **he admits in a sad voice, sitting down on the floor and pulling his legs close to him. "**I hurt her feelings even though I just wanted her to get better, I even suggested… **_**that**_ **in the heat of the moment. What kind of friend am I even?!"**

"You said that not because you wanted her to die but because you couldn't bear her slowly decaying like that, am I right?" I prompt him carefully and he nods immediately. "At least you didn't say it with any ill intent then."

"**She's my only friend; I would never want anything to happen to her." **There is an awkward pause before he adds. "**Please don't tell anyone but, actually… I really like her like… like you and Takari like each other."**

"Huh?" I even forget to keep up my serious face for a moment. "We're just friends - well, maybe we are somewhat close due to our shared hardships and being friends since we can remember but we're not… like _that…_" _Or were we?_

"**I won't tell anyone either," **Raver states, seemingly embarrassed about admitting that he had a crush on Greenie. "**I can tell that she really likes you. Mum acts just the same around Dad. And you care about her so much, you must like her…"**

Irritated, I give him an embarrassed look before reluctantly admitting.

"Well, I might like her a little bit… she's cute and… and funny. But I'd rather die than tell her that!"

"**She seems to be quite a master at teasing though, I can't believe you can handle her, Nishir. Beakles may be a bloody know-it-all and Zekir just an obnoxious little brat but I can hardly stand my ground against them!"**

_Oh, he hasn't witnessed Takari at full teasing power yet… but wasn't I trying to lecture him? _I quickly clear my throat to indicate that this little excurse was now over. Thankfully, he catches the hint.

"**A-Anyway, about Greenie…" **the awkward, sad expression returned to his face. "**What should I do now? I know I need to seek a chat with her and apologize but… Nishir, I'm afraid!"**

I know too well just what he might be afraid of, considering that it has kept me from closing an eye tonight. Still, I think it is important that he puts what he is feeling into words in order to fully realize what he has done.

"Afraid of what exactly?" I prompt him.

"**Well, she might have… listened to me." **

Suddenly, a faint cry escapes his throat as the true implications hit him like a solid wall.

"**What if she l-listened a-and… uurgh why did say such a horrible thing!? **Furious at himself and full of panic, his little hands are clenching into tight fists, clobbering the side of his head repeatedly. "**It'll be my fault if something happens to her!"**

Kindly, I have to remind him that it is in the middle of the night but, regardless, I also proceed to kneel down in front of him to give him a loose embrace.

"I'm glad that you're aware of it, Raver." I tell him quietly, trying to de-escalate his anger at himself and trying to keep his crying down to a level that wouldn't wake the surrounding families from their slumber. "Unfortunately, as much as we want to, some things we just can't take back once they have been said. If Greenie took these things to heart and managed to think of some way to carry it out, then there is nothing we can do anymore. I just hope that she's still innocent enough not to come up anything. If your regret is sincere, how about visiting her again?"

"**N-now?"**

"Why not?" I wonder with a shrug. "Or would you be able to sleep tonight without checking? I kind of feel like she might be easier to talk to after having had a good cry, or maybe still having it, and rediscovering that there are still some emotions left that she can't lock away behind her daydreams. Maybe she has used this time she spent crying to think about the things that I told her too? She may have rejected the thought earlier but I don't want to give up on her just yet."

"**M-me neither!" **Raver exclaims, sobering up at the thought and quickly rubbing the sadness out of his eyes. "**Come on, we've got to hurry, Nishir!"**

"I'll be right behind you."

* * *

Climbing the mountain proves to be even more tricky at night but, somehow, Raver and I manage to clear the challenge without sustaining more than a few scratches from slipping. Finally at the top and a little out of breath since we hurried a lot more than necessary (Raver would constantly remind me to walk faster anyhow), I take an overview of the area with the intent to find Greenie. In the dark, a small swimmer like her would be easy to overlook even with the Night Circle and the sky puffies (through their lack of attendance) assisting me in the task.

My heart is beating a little faster now in spite of my physical exertion going down after resting at last, worries about Greenie's wellbeing swimming around madly in my head. I can almost feel a boulder fall from my shoulders when I see something small leaning against the small rock where Greenie had been talking to us earlier.

"She's still there, look," I tell Raver who has become more and more anxious the closer we have gotten to the plateau, pointing in the general direction to aid his vision.

"**Oh thank goodness!" **he rejoices and I'm assuming rather than just a boulder an entire mountain is just falling from his own shoulders upon hearing the happy news.

"It's too early to rejoice just yet though, we don't know what kind of condition she'll be in when we meet her up close. Let's review the situation and come up with a strategy, okay?" Naturally, the boy has no reason to object to the suggestion so he hunches down next to me. "First of all, there are three possible scenarios."

I have had enough time to come up with some sort of strategy as we made our arduous journey and I am now revealing my thoughts to Raver who is listening eagerly.

"First, she might be crying; second, she might be sleeping; third, she might be back in her trance and likely won't respond. We can try to think of ways to wake her up if that were to happen but for now let's assume she is responsive because, after hearing her explanation how these 'visits' to her mother or whatever she'd call it work, if she was mentally a wreck, she wouldn't be able to focus enough to space out like that. That's just my theory though. She'd also have to wake up first before travelling there again unless she can fall asleep while daydreaming. She never specified."

"**Right…" **Raver agrees, so I continue.

"We need to decide how to approach her and who talks to her first. It'll probably depend on how she is feeling. Would you be okay if I scout her mental state before you talk to her? I know you have a lot to say to her but maybe I should check whether she even wants to hear it?"

"**Oh yeah, that uhh is a possibility, I guess," **Raver says with much regret shining through the casual tone of his voice. "**I'm fine with you going first, I don't really know how to talk to someone who, well, cries…"**

"It's something you learn the hard way one day, believe me," I proclaim with a sigh. "Do you think I knew how to comfort Takari at first? I was feeling too awkward to even touch her prior to the incident and it took me a while until I had enough mental capacity to look after her while looking after myself too. Anyway, don't fret if she does. Try to understand why she is sad and try to be tactful. Anything that could make her remember something bad might make it worse. If she allows it, give her a hug or just stroke her a little… like giving her a headpat or something. If she wants to talk, just listen. Uhh, I still haven't really figured out when it's right to cheer Takari up or when I just need to wait until it passes. Err anyway…" I scratch my head as my little lesson about comforting crying girls comes to an end since I feel myself blushing.

"Before we go… do you know what you want to tell her and how you want to get it across? I can help you with some things but this is something you'll have to do on your own, I'm afraid."

"**I was able to apologize to you, right? I'll be fine!" **Raver grunts in an attempt to raise his own spirits but I can tell at a glance that he is still nervous as heck, his hand shaking a little as he gestures around.

"Very well then," I acknowledge, my gaze wandering over to where Greenie is residing. "Fingers crossed that we'll be able to do something about this…"

"**Yeah, let's do our best…" **Raver agrees. A little anxious, I set into motion, the boy right on my heels. Even though the girl's position is just a stone's throw away, it feels like an eternity as we creep closer with every step. Finally, we are getting close enough to gather more information. Greenie has been freed (or did she free herself?) from the leaf wrapped around her. Only now I realize how frail her little body is. While the elders have made sure to keep her alive, she still must have eaten very little to have lost so much weight despite not moving a finger all day.

Her pose reminds me a lot of one that Takari would often make and I've also seen Raver perform it a little while ago when he had cried in worry and anger. She is sitting upright, head buried under her arms while resting on her legs, swaying gently back and forth as if to console herself.

"No doubt, she's awake but probably crying silently to herself," I whisper quietly in Raver's direction. "I'll try to approach her now, you stay behind until I gesture you to get closer, okay?"

Raver just nods, his face contorted with anxiety. I can only imagine that he is refining the speech he is planning to give to the girl in apology. I need to prepare myself for the upcoming chat as well. Certainly, it won't be easy either to reach Greenie this time around. A tight knot sitting in my chest, I advance until I see the little girl once again up close, swaying ever so gently back and forth. Tears flowing from her eyes are streaming down her legs, given that her head is resting on them. _So she is crying after all_… In order not to scare her when addressing her all of a sudden, I deliberately make a rather pronounced step forward so that the girl would pick up the noise and know of my arrival.

"Greenie?" I speak up with the most gentle and kind voice I am capable of producing. Although she doesn't make any signs of her mind being present in reality rather than travelling places far away, I can tell that she must have heard me since her body ceases to sway. After all, she did mention being able to hear and see even while she is daydreaming and just decided not to bother with these sensations. Either way, I take it as an invitation to get closer to her, squatting down in a respectable distance to her but still close enough to reach out my arm to touch her if I necessary.

"May I have another chat with you?" I ask politely, observing her for any signs of reaction. For a while, there is no reaction but I remain as I am, patiently waiting for a while before speaking up again.

"If you would prefer to be left alone right now, I could save it for a later time too. Just promise me that you give me - and a certain someone too, a second chance to clear up any misunderstandings our first chat has resulted in."

Again, I give her some time to think about my words. Then, finally, there is an ever so slight movement in her body and, before long, she opens her mouth to respond with a very croaky voice which was interrupted once or twice by hiccups.

"**C-can you make the p-pain go away?"**

Having a hunch what she might be referring to, I answer in a calm, soothing tone.

"Nobody can make it go away entirely but I can try to make it a hurt a little less."

After hearing my words, there is more movement in her body and, soon after, she has risen to her feet. For a moment, a wave of fright enters my body, not knowing where she wants to go. The plateau is falling quite steeply on the side of the mountain that we're residing on, falling off surely causing major injuries from the drop, if not worse. On second thought, it probably isn't a good place for someone like Greenie to reside at while having the thoughts that she is undoubtedly struggling with right now. Putting that aside though, the destination of her journey appears to be me. Our eyes meet for a short moment, her entire face wet with tears she had just smeared all over it while wiping her eyes just now - a rather pointless act as many more replace those she had tried to remove immediately.

"**Can I?" **Hardly a sound escapes her beak due to how hourse her voice has become. She is gesturing weakly at me and I can only assume that she has understood my vague offer.

"Please do," I invite her with a gesture. Greenie takes another step towards me before sitting down to my right, immediately allowing her body to lean against my shoulder, her sobbing notably increasing in intensity as she does so. With delight, I acknowledge the trust that she is showing towards me, causing my spirits to rise. Our chances of reaching her maybe aren't so bad after all. After an initial moment of awkwardness, I reach out my right arm in order to wrap it around the poor little swimmer and begin to stroke her right shoulder gently. For a few moments, I'm not trying to say anything, just allowing her to get comfortable, starting to cry for real or speaking up if she were up to either of those two things.

"**W-were there times when y-you wanted nothing m-more than to see your f-family again?"**

She eventually settles with the latter, although one could argue she is also crying a little bit. Occasionally, I can feel some of her tears falling on my skin too.

"If you asked me now what my biggest wish is, I would answer with "seeing my family again," I explain calmly over Greenie's quiet sobs. "I may be content with my new life but, if given the chance, I would go back immediately. No one can replace them, no one."

"**B-but how are you not b-breaking apart?" **she wails as an abysmal wave of sadness takes hold of her frail body, so powerful that I can feel it spread to myself as well. "**I haven't c-cried like this in f-f-forever, it f-f-feels like I'm being t-torn apart d-d-deep inside!" **Her dialogue is followed by a loud outcry. Greenie is suddenly weeping against me just like Takari has done so many times before. Compared to the behavior she has shown earlier, while it's much harder to bear a crying girl than a girl with no emotions, I reckon it'd also be a lot easier to reason with her while she is acting like this.

"I know just how it feels…" Momentarily, I consider to give in to the sudden sadness that begins to spread through my body but I'm not entirely forgetting that I owe Raver to create a chance for him to apologize either. Unfortunately, I fear that my lesson about crying girls would come into handy after all. Despite being rocked by heavy sobs and frequent outcries, it seems Greenie had enough on her mind that she wouldn't wait for a better moment to say them, instead uttering a bunch of unintelligible words which I can only put together into a whole sentence with a lot of effort.

"**I'm so… s-sorry that… I… hurt… you and… Raver… even though… … care about me…"**

_So she is sensitive about what happened before? She has probably thought a lot about it and arrived at the conclusion that it was her fault? Oh Raver, you're lucky. She'll definitely accept your apology at this rate…_

"Greenie I can hardly understand the gist of what you are trying to tell me. Either way, would you like to speak with Raver directly?" I prompt her, trying to console the heavily crying child to the best of my abilities but to no avail. "You see, I think Raver also has a few things he needs to tell you. Mind hearing him out?"

I can feel her head make a nodding movement against my shoulder immediately after offering the idea.

"I'm sure he'll also give you a hug if you ask kindly." As I mention this, Greenie changes her position slightly, rotating her little body towards me and squeezing me as she continues to cry. _Poor girl… she probably hasn't had anyone give her a proper hug since losing her mother, no wonder she has become such a wreck. I should tell Raver to give her one, I'm sure that'll score… _I throw a quick glance at Raver to check if he's still there. Awkwardly tapping from one foot to another, he is waiting for further instructions.

"Alright, I'll go get Raver then, he's waiting just a little distance away. Just a few seconds, alright?" I am trying to get to my feet but the little girl seems very hesitant to let go even as I am on my feet, waving in Raver's direction, giving him the signal to get closer. Once again, she is trying to tell me something but I understand even less of it.

"**Don't…. go… need… talk…"**

"Once you've calmed down, I can't understand anything while you're crying," I promise her in a warm voice. "Regardless, you should let it all out first. Holding it back all this time didn't do you anything good after all…" She is still clinging onto me like a lost hatchling when Raver arrives, throwing a very uneasy glance at Greenie.

"**She's… crying huh?" **he hisses quietly in my direction.

"Yeah," I reply shortly, pulling him close with my free arm (Greenie was cleaving to the other one) to whisper some instructions into his ear. "Don't worry, she's not mad, just very very sad. Hug her tightly and comfort her, she's extremely clingy right now. I'll be right there if you need me."

"**Okay, thanks," **Raver whispers back in an appreciative tone. Reluctantly (because she wouldn't want to let go), I de-glue Greenie from me. She has no composure left, all the stored up emotions gushing freely from her now. Slowly, I steer her limp body towards Raver.

"Raver is here," I mention quietly to her. "Open your eyes."

The boy is looking a little helpless as he stands before the crying girl, however the gesture he makes with his arms couldn't be more clear, opening them wide, invitingly. For a few moments, their eyes meet. Then, Greenie leaps forward into his arms, almost strangling him with her desperate embrace, Raver returning the gesture, a little awkward at first but then squeezing her back just as much. He must have taken my word for it as he didn't make any attempts to talk to her yet, probably knowing himself that Greenie wouldn't be able to get a single word out in this state.

With a knowing smile, I sit down a little distance away and begin to watch the night sky while occasionally glancing over to the two younger swimmers. Even though Raver does surprisingly well for his inexperience, Greenie is inconsolable. Even as the Night Circle approaches its zenith, she is still wailing into the night. Raver is sending me more and more pleading gestures to help and I can't ignore them any longer, considering that some serious tiredness is slowly taking hold of me. _But why would I be any better than Raver, whose matching size is probably more convenient for her… Still, there is one thing I could try that I could never try with Takari since she'd been too heavy… _With a huge sigh, I get to my feet and scramble over to a rather desperate looking Raver.

"**I'm probably doing it all wrong…"** he wails quietly as he meets me again. "**I've tried everything you told me; hugged her so tight that it hurt, gave her my shoulder to cry and wrapped my arm around her just like you did, even tried to say a few nice things. Nothing works… and it hurts so much to see her so sad…"**

"She might not improve just yet but it hurts a lot less to cry when you're being comforted. There's nothing worse than having to cry on your own, knowing that no one will ever hear your cries and see your tears, believe me. I'm pretty sure part of the reason why she's so inconsolable is _because_ she doesn't have to cry alone right now. In a way… I suppose she can go all out now and just let all these bad feelings inside her out of her system. Either way, you're being a big help to her right now." I give him a small pat as a 'you did well' gesture. "Although I may have encouraged her to let those emotions out…here, want me to take her now?"

"**Yeah, please…"** Raver says. I can't fault him for being tired of it; comforting someone isn't exactly a pleasant thing to do after all and Greenie has been at it for hours at this point. Right now, Greenie is half leaning half lying against Raver with the boy holding her close to him. Having an idea how to make her stop crying, I kneel down in front of the two, addressing Greenie in a soothing voice.

"Greenie, would you mind if I took over for a bit? I think Raver needs a break."

I feel easier asking her in advance as I am still pretty much a stranger to her. To my delight, she is nodding.

"Come here then," I invite her. As Raver relinquishes his firm hold on her, I grab the smaller swimmer and lift her into my arms with some effort. I distinctly remember my own mother lifting me and my siblings into her arms and then cradling us until I we would calm down. The difference in size between us isn't nearly as large. Greenie is about two thirds of my size as are my other new siblings and Raver. Considering her frail outer appearance, she mustn't even get up to half of my weight. But, I surmise, it should still be effective. After an initial hug, I shuffle her around until she is resting in my arms.

While she is still somewhat heavy (I indeed could never keep this up with Takari), I'm certain that I should be able to keep cradling her for some time at least, hopefully long enough to get her to tone down her crying a little bit. I can immediately tell, that it has some sort of reaction on her as soon as I start, her muscles relaxing; her breathing becoming a little more controlled and her crying becoming less wild.

"This okay?" I wonder, immediately receiving a faint 'mhm hmm' as an answer, taking it as a yes. "As part of my attempt at consolation, I begin to have a little chat with her, hoping it might distract her from anything bad she might be thinking about right now.

"You took my words very literal, not that I'm complaining," I tell her, chuckling at little at the thought. "Though it is getting late so if we want to chat some more you'll have to try and calm down a bit so Raver and I can decipher your words."

"**S-sorry…"**

"Don't be, I'm glad you listened to me." Even though it is more exhausting on my arms, I pull her a little closer, allowing her to rest her head against my chest.

"Say, I was right about the things I just said, wasn't I? This must have been the first time in ages you actually had someone to comfort you as you cry."

"**Yes… been… all alone… all the time!"**

A few pained cries escape her beak and I quickly redouble my efforts to calm her down.

"There, there…" I'm humming a few times, swaying her gently until she calms down a little, elaborating between many sobs on her previous words without me asking.

"**Some grown-ups… try to comfort but… only wanted my mother back so I… use hideout… cry day and night… alone…"**

"**I didn't know where she was hiding for a while, no one knew, actually…" **Raver explains before I get a chance to ask why he hadn't visited her then. "**Even I didn't know this was her hideout…"**

I send an approving nod in his direction and continue to cradle Greenie for a few more minutes. The effect is devastating; in no time her cries subside until only a few odd hiccups and her swollen eyes tell the tale of an hour-long breakdown.

"Alright, I think we can talk now," I eventually announce just as the Night Circle passes its zenith on the sky. It's now exactly the middle of the night and I fear for the next day as we were guaranteed to be very tired tomorrow. I eventually lower Greenie to the ground, her taking a position just between Raver and me. "I think you wanted some words with me, right? Would you like to talk to Raver first or would you prefer to talk to me first?"

"**I'll t-talk t-to you f-first,"** she responds quickly, her voice extremely shaken but I can tell at a glance that her condition is stable, no tears falling from her eyes anymore. "**Because… it'll be a quick chat, I t-think…"**

"All ears," I say with a smile at her and she doesn't hesitate to get started.

"**All this time while… crying…"** Greenie acts a little bashful at the thought. "**I've thought about all your words and our talk. Even though we're just strangers, even though I was being so mean, you've been so kind to me and even… comforted me just like Mother would always do... " **

_So is this just going to be an apology for acting unreasonable now?_

I'm not quite correct but still close to the truth. Abruptly, the little swimmer approaches me, taking hold of one of my arms and squeezing it tightly.

"**I want to apologize and I want to thank you. That is all."**

"You're welcome," I smile at the gesture. "I'm really glad that you were able to snap out of it; it was a little hard to reason with you earlier. Speaking of which… you weren't fond of my words earlier. Has your opinion… changed since then?"

A little awkwardly, I await her answer.

"**I still want to go where my mother is but… it'd be rude not to give it a try at least… it'd be rude not to listen to you."**

"And you can still go to that place when you're on your own as long as you learn to snap out of it at will," I lightly propose before giving her a slight pat on the head. With a mixed expression, she is looking up to me.

"**I can't believe you yet but… I want to believe you, I really do…"**

"I really appreciate it, Greenie. I think I can speak for Takari as well when I say that we'll gladly visit you again if you need us. Don't give up. Random moments of happiness like this become more and more common until the darkness is slowly driven away by your own happiness. If we have found a reason to live again, then you can do it too. I believe in you!"

"**I'll… do my best," **she claims, huge uncertainties clouding her regardless but she is putting up a brave face before me.

"And I wish you the best, Greenie," I underline, nodding in Raver's direction who has been patiently waiting for his turn to chat. "I'll leave you two alone to talk now but I'll be in hearing range if you need me, okay?"

Feeling a lot more at ease than when I came here, I retreat to some degree from the scene in order to grant the two little swimmers some privacy, however I am simply too curious how Raver is going to handle the apology to remove myself entirely. On top of that, I am curious what these two are acting like when they're alone. Raver may be about as awkward around girls as I am but Greenie is a lot more docile than Takari. _Actually, Takari is on another dimension!_

For a brief moment, there is silence between the two children as they both awkwardly look at each other, or rather, somewhat beside each other. I can only assume that, now that Greenie isn't crying anymore, she might feel a little embarrassed about it all and as for Raver… well, I can relate… Eventually, the boy takes the first step and I sharpen my ears to be able to follow the conversation from some distance.

"**I'm uhm… glad you're feeling better now…"**

"**Still as far from 'good' as we are from reaching the sky puffies up there," **Greenie says and, now that I'm gone, some depression seems to return. "**It made me really when you hugged me though…"**

"**Greenie, I…" **Raver tries to apologize now but Greenie sharply interrupts him.

"**Don't apologize, it's alright! You only said all of that because I've been so mean to you in the first place!"** Without warning, she embraces Raver who is momentarily surprised before accepting Greenie's unspoken apology by returning the gesture. I have to sharpen my ears even more to pick up the next few pieces of dialogue.

"**It's me who hurt your feelings; you didn't hurt mine. It's **_**me**_ **who needs to apologize!"**

"**Let's just forget it," **Raver proposes immediately. Greenie is getting really worked up about it and I suppose Raver took notice of it.

"**Hhmm," **Greenie agrees, her voice appearing to a little shaky but Raver's embrace probably keeps her emotions in check. "**Actually, I'm glad that you said what you did…"**

"**Wait what? I literally told you to… never mind that... but it's a horrible thing to say! I cried as soon as I realized what it might make you do!"**

"**M-maybe, while I was crying after you left, I had a few… bad thoughts… but Raver, you finally made me snap out if it! Out of this 'leave me alone' thing I mean. Actually, I… I just wanted to be… to be loved and hugged and… not to be alone anymore. I felt so alone that I started imagining I was with my mother again… I stopped caring about everything because she was the only dinosaurs who ever loved me and, in my daydreams, I could feel her love again, hear her voice again, I could **_**see **_**her again. I didn't need anything else, I didn't even need an old friend who would readily cry for me. Raver, I've been such an idiot!"**

"**Even if you're an idiot, you're still my friend, idiot," **Raver jokes and at this point I cannot tell if Greenie starts sobbing from sadness or happiness. _Probably both._

"**And you are my friend, Raver, and you are n-n-not an idiot! You saved me! You and Nishir did!"**

"**Well, someone had to save you from your idiocy, right?"**

_This is getting mildly entertaining._

"**Yes…"** Greenie is crying again, clutching Raver tightly who continues to tease her in a good-hearted way.

"**Good grief, you're crying again, idiot. Didn't you cry enough already?"**

"**I'm crying because I'm so happy you're here!" **the little swimmer retorts weakly, abandoning the hug to cleanse her eyes from tears but Raver clutches her back.

"**Never mind that, cry all you want but promise me you'll never think about dying, starving yourself again or pooping all over yourself again. Because that was just horrible!"**

"**H-hey, blame that elder for stuffing me with all that water, j-jeez! I was asleep when it happened; I didn't do that on purpose!"**

Raver breaks into laughter at this and I have to stifle a giggle as well. I'm feeling proud of Raver for realizing that some silly laughter is just what Greenie needs right now.

"**Right, I believe you just this once!" **Raver proclaims with fake grumpiness. At this point, their hug breaks apart once more and for some moments, the two kids are just staring at each other before…

***snort***

… a short grunt of laughter escapes Greenie's beak, all the while numerous tears dripping from her cheeks.

"**Crying, laughing; geez you're a busy one**… **make up your mind you little doofus."**

"**A-anyway! I promise you to try not doing all of those anymore but you promise me to visit lots! I feel lonely even when you're here, Raver, so don't leave now or I'll cry…"**

"**Says the one who has tears all over her face already…"**

"**Hey, don't bully me…"**

At this point, Raver pulls her back into a hug again.

"**Alright, I'll stop being a bully and I won't leave you, alright? It's a sleepover, alright?"**

"**Sleepover sounds lovely but we can't use the cave, it smells…"**

"**Thanks to your poopapocalypse…"**

"**SO much for not being a bully, try a little harder to keep your promise!"**

At this point, I can't hold it in anymore, laughing loudly at the hilarious display, Raver toying with Greenie using just the right balance of teases and hugs to ridicule and comfort her at the same time while bringing some joy to the poor swimmer's heart and causing her to become quite lively again. _Raver, you're more brilliant than I can give you credit for, you'll definitely save Greenie at this rate, just keep this up!_

"Well, I'll be on my way then!" I exclaim as it becomes very clear that Raver wouldn't return to the nest tonight. "I'll explain to your parents, Raver, you keep your promise, alright?"

"**Got'cha!" **Raver confirms with a thumbs-up gesture before returning his attention to irate Greenie threatening him to sleep in the stinky cave if he didn't start being less of a bully. I chuckle heartily before turning around and making my way back to the nest.

In the end, meddling has been a good decision after all.

* * *

**In this chapter, we learn about Greenie's grief and her relationship with Raver. Knowing the depths of her depression, Nishir and Takari manage to save the younger girl from her grief and teach her what's truly important in life with the help of their new little brother Raver. **

**Nishir also has to realize how to act like a big brother towards Raver and aid him in his task to apologize after the terrible argument.**

**You may wonder why this arc is even relevant. I think Owls put it quite nicely in a recent review: It shows their growth; it shows that they've learnt to cope and enjoy life again. It also shows that their story might help others that are in the same situation. Maybe it'll help the odd person reading this too? While not my intention of the story, that'd obviously be cool :)**

**Besides, while I didn't want to flesh out all four siblings, not doing so at all felt a little poor so I decided to give at least one of them (Raver) and little side story that's related to what Nishir and Takari are telling them about their past experiences.**

**This whole Greenie arc, as a matter of fact, kind of wasn't planned in the first draft of the story but I'm so so glad that I came up with the idea and decided to give the four siblings distinct character traits. Writing this kept me busy an entire weekend but it was so worth it! :)**

**I'm not sure if everyone will come to like such a sudden *filler* but this is arguably the best point in time both from a perspective of overall mood and chronological order to insert this little side story. Greenie will definitely appear again so it's not like some tv-episodes of LBT with stupid flat characters that'll never appear again anyway (rhett, anyone? :P)**

**Was Greenie's characterization believable by the way? After this chapter, there's actually some context for the things you already saw in chapter 5. Her initial reaction to the loss was to isolate herself which many people tend to do when they're faced with crippling depression in spite of this being an illogical reaction. This led to crippling loneliness. When she was found, she had already begun to get lost in endless daydreams that got so intense that she lost connection with the real world around her despite the fact that she could still interact with it if she chooses to. By the time her only friend Raver found her, she had already gotten used to being with her mother in her daydream which explains her reaction when they reunite.**

**What did you think about Raver in this chapter? He was being an idiot for some time but he also had a chance to redeem himself. **

**The last scene took a lot of time as I had to be extremely careful to ensure that the emotions are displayed properly. What do you think about it? What do you think about Greenie and Raver? Was their interaction believable? Was Greenie's sudden switch from indifference to showing extreme emotion understandable? I spent a lot of time pondering how to portrait her grief...**

**Since I've had people complain about this in the past, I think I should also explain the use of potty humor. The Land Before Time (rightfully) chose to omit a few details of their daily lives, however I'm all in favor of realism and, in this case, unlike in chapter 2 when it was pure comic relief, Greenie's situation prompted me to think her desperate situation to the very end. She had forgotten that she still had some things she occasionally... needed to do in the real world. Like... to eat, drink and poo... The elder meant well but made it worse lol (from a medical point of view, he did the right thing though)**

**I edited this chapter at least three times by the way to ensure that paragraphs are used properly and shortened some lengthy sentences too. Added some smaller stuff here and there and went over the more delicate dialogues a few times. Probably took another 10 hours or so, considering its length :lol**

**Chapter 7 will also be set in the present time (we're going back to the mood of chapter 1 & 2, introducing an important character growth arc for Nishir) but after that the tale of Nishir and Takari finally continues, I swear :P**

**Did anyone ever dare to stretch a cliffhanger over 3 chapters? :o**

* * *

"Okay, to start this off it is good to see that your long hiatus due to exams is finally over and you've certainly made up for lost time quite fine. I hate to be that guy, but there's a lot we need to go through with this new chapter and not all of it is positive. For politeness sake, I shall go over the good things first and then move to the things I found to be lacking. I would like to add that there's no need to take any of this personally. These are just my honest opinions I wished to voice.

You warned that this chapter would be considerably darker than its predecessors and I don't think you were wrong in that assumption. While the insipid part roughly halfway through the conversation between Nishir and Takari relating to dialogue and narration could have been cut short in creating this dark atmosphere, I believe you've created a fine example of how a person may feel when they've lost everything dear to them. This, of course, comes as a shock to Nishir, but we as readers would have been expecting something bad to happen sooner or later. I have to admit that some of the things Takari said, mainly about how cruel the world they live in truly is, are rather valid points about the circle of life and you hardly can blame her for feeling this way, which only adds in to the realism. However, she was essentially very selfish here, not even considering to stop and ask what Nishir feels about it all, but this all plays into her state of the mind being in shambles.

Time for the less positive things. I know this may sound a bit rude, but I honestly could not find a better way to voice these feelings without sounding at least little bit captious. You've been reminded that some of the paragraphs have been way too big and I hate to bring this problem up again, but I would suggest you use three to eight sentences in a paragraph. This might feel like a relatively small problem but I like to believe that less is more. It is likely because you haven't written fiction in a while, but I feel like there's a considerable gap where the quality has dropped down little from the previous chapter. The best way I can try to explain this is that it feels like you overcomplicate it by making the chapter as long as possible, relating to my previous point about how less is more.

Once again, these criticisms are not to be taken personally. I'm merely trying to point out in where you can improve on. If at any point you feel like I've overstepped my boundaries, then please excuse me. You're more than welcome to contact me so we can hash it out if you have any questions. All in all, I'm happy to see that you've returned to writing fanfiction and while we've been dealt a cliffhanger to keep us in suspense until the next chapter, there are some things I look forward to exploring more, particularly how Greenie's past is going to affect the story. The characters have been pushed to the breaking point, but their road of misfortunes likely isn't over yet."

**I'm not going to cross-post my response on the GoF but instead write a new one**

**After doing some research and asking for some opinions online, I think I can agree with your general advice to limit paragraph length. I've definitely paid very close attention to paragraphs in this chapter. If you still find my paragraphs lacking in this chapter, then I don't know what else to do, really.**

**As I said on the GoF forum already, I really appreciate your feedback both praise and critique :)**

* * *

Guest chapter 6 . Jul 31

"Due to the dark nature of this chapter, even by the standards of this story, it was very difficult to adequately describe for a review. Although I don't normally condone the use of the M rating, in my experience it's often used by edgelords to justify gratuitous violence for shock value, in this situation you did the right thing by changing the rating.

Depression seems to be a common theme in your work, and I appreciate how you neither demonize nor romanticize this issue. This chapter also demonstrates how individuals can respond to trauma in drastically different ways. While Takari becomes suicidal and displays psychological regression from her grief, Nishir is concerned with escaping and keeping his only friend alive even though both suffered from the same traumatic experience. It was interesting to see the characters' thoughts about the afterlife, since we as the audience know ghosts and by extension the afterlife exists, as well as how Nashir used this conversation to talk Takari down from wanting to kill herself.

This is the darkest thing you've written so far, but it was nonetheless handled tactfully. Good work Evil Swimmer, I hope things improve for our protagonists."

**Thank you very much for the review :)**

**I'm fairly sure things are going to improve for them, I mean we see them in the present, enjoying themselves and even helping Greenie in this chapter. We've passed the lowest point with chapter 5 :)**

**I'm glad that I managed to approach this matter tactfully. Thank you :)**


	8. Chapter 7 - New day, new challenge

**Chapter 7: ****New day, new challenges **

I honestly can't remember how I was able to get home and fall asleep last night. All I do know is that I am being woken up by someone shaking my body rather wildly to knock the sleep out of me.

**"Nishir, wake up!" **

_Ah, Takari's voice. But why would she give me such a wild wake up call? Is something the matter? _Groggily, I turn around in my makeshift nest in the soft grass. My body feels as if it had barely fallen asleep but, considering my little night time excursion, that is to be expected. A mighty yawn escaping my beak, I finally manage to squeeze my eyes open, only for them to meet Takari's angry stare.

"Huh, what's up?" I wonder with a confused look on my face. "You look angry."

**"Where were you last night?" **

_Oh, so that's what this is all about… _

**"Where's Raver, where are our parents? Gosh, this family is going to be such a mess… "**

"Well, it's a family nonetheless," I state with an amused shrug, a short burst of laughter escaping my beak in reaction to her statement. "I can probably explain all absences but bear with me, I'm still half-asleep… " Takari looks like she wants to add a spicy comment to my words, however she doesn't end up saying anything, merely continuing to stare at me in a somewhat annoyed fashion. A yawn escapes my beak, followed by a sigh as I rub the sleep out of my eyes. Still tired, I begin to elaborate.

"Raver returned late at night with a bad conscience. We ended up checking up on Greenie again."

**"How did that go?" **she wondered casually.

"She cried more than I've ever seen you cry, Takari, but I think my words were able to reach out to her. She reconnected with Raver too."

**"Wait, she accepted his apology? After everything he said?" **

"As a matter of fact," I tell her with a smile. "Greenie was apologizing to Raver for her indifference. His rant apparently shook her out of it. He stayed with her overnight. She probably still has a long way to go but I'm confident that she'll find happiness again just like we have, Takari. Raver is her savior just like we saved each other, I guess… "

**"Well, sounds like everything turned out fine in the end. However…" **Takari's face suddenly becomes very scary. **"How dare you to leave me alone at night; you know that I have frequent night terrors! I cried when I woke up and you weren't next to me where you were supposed to be! I had to bother our new p-parents about it even though they're so busy…" **

"Which is probably the reason why they've left the nest so early too…"

**"You're changing the topic, Nishir," **Takari teases all of a sudden. Now I can't tell anymore if she's angry or toying with me…

"W-well you asked for this piece of information, didn't you?!"

Takari's hearty laugh confirms the latter. Only Takari could make me feel angry and happy about the same thing. Seeing her laugh from the bottom of her heart is a sight I thought I'd never see again. After all, she is really cute when she smiles like that. For just a short time, I completely forget that looking at a girl for longer than necessary is actually really embarrassing. Without prior warning, Takari suddenly stops her hearty laugh on command as she takes notice. Suddenly meeting gazes, she gives me an unexpected cute face and a wink. My cheeks suddenly on fire, I urgently look away.

**"You were looking at me just now, Nishir," **she states with an undeniable, gleeful tone in her voice. **"Did you finally realize that I'm a girl or what, geez." **

"I-I have always known that!" I heavily protest as Takari creeps up on me like she would always do when she was about to tease me about romantic nonsense. _Yes, I'm vulnerable to that! _

**"Well, did you finally figure out that I'm actually a ****_cute_**** girl then?" **

_I've always known that as well! _

"N-N-no, you're probably just an ordinary girl, n-not like I specially care or anything…"

_Thump thump thump… That girl, daring to make my heart race like this so early in the day! _

**"Aww come on, Nishir, your face is bright red even though you are a murky brown," **Takari laughs heartily and I can't help but take a quick look at her. _So cute when she smiles… _

**"You're bad at lying; you've always been terrible at it, ahaha!" **

_Well, she might not be wrong in that regard… _

"I'm telling the truth!" I declare anyhow, trying desperately to return the state of my cheeks to its natural colour but to no avail.

**"Of course you are," **Takari laughs, approaching me with a mirthful grin. _I've seen this grin one too many times, is she going to… Oh no! _Before I can slip away, Takari manages to sneak into range. Suddenly, her fingers are approaching my blazing hot cheek and…

**"Poke!" **

"Aaaarghh, anything but THIS, Takari!" _Didn't this insufferable troll know that I am sensitive to pokes?! Ah right, she's doing it BECAUSE she knows all about it, aaaarghh! _My pleas are in vain though as she alternates between poking my cheeks and my sides where I'm most vulnerable. _A lot of trial and error was needed to develop her brutal efficiency… _

"Seriously Takari, I'm dying here!" I cry as the barrel of pokes continues to strike my tired body.

**"Anything but this, you say?" **The way the girl gleefully grins at me as I am cowering before her in an attempt to protect my body gives me a bad feeling. _She's probably going to twist my words into something even more embarrassing… _

**"Hmm, I think I ****_might _****be willing to stop if you hold my hands right now. It'll count as an apology too. You gonna do it?" **

_This girl… There's no way I can do that! _

"Okay okay, I was looking at you because I was happy to see you smile again, that's what you want to hear right?!"

Takari's expression suddenly seems to show a little bit of disappointment, however it does not last.

**"Jeez, and here I was beginning to think you might really end up holding them if I kept on poking you for the lie…" **

_In your sleepstories! I mean, somehow I want to try it out one day but I'd die from embarrassment before we even touch! _

**"****Well, let's just leave it at this. But don't do this again; next time I'll definitely cry until you apologize!"**

"I don't think I'll be having any night time adventures for a while, I'm totally tired now…" I announce with a mighty yawn slipping past me about halfway through the statement. "A-anyway, shouldn't you be embarrassed about this?"

Takari seems to be thoughtful for a split second before making up her mind.

**"****Hmm, I guess it's fine if it's you, Nishir," **she expresses herself with a hard-to-read smile. I can't decide whether this is an attempt to make me flustered again so I merely leave it uncommented, instead looking around for some food to have for breakfast. Takari joins me as soon as I start munching on leaves from a low-hanging branch of a tree.

**"****You know what's odd, Nishir?" **she casually prompts me with a mixture of a puzzled and curious expression. I merely offer her a shrug in response as I'm too busy eating. My lack of interest doesn't seem to bother her though, quite the contrary.

**"****You're usually an open book but there's one thing I've never understood about you… actually make that two things!" **she adds as another thought seems to pop up. Considering the amount of devious joy that suddenly begins to show on her face, I instinctively inch away from her. _Just in case_…

**"****Ah, this is actually a perfect example, Nishir," **she mentions with a silly giggle as she observes me, leaving me with nothing but confusion. _What is she raving on about?_

**"****Why did you just put more distance between us?"**

_Oh really, this is just going to be another weird investigation to tickle a blush out of me! Why can't we just talk about normal stuff for once, jeez! _

When I choose not to reply, she decides to dig deeper.

**"****Do I smell bad or what? Maybe I should take a bath?"**

Slightly annoyed by her choice of topic for conversation, I practice myself in being silent, all the while, subconsciously, protecting the flank facing Takari with my free hand. This would be my downfall.

**"****Afraid of more poking, are we?" **She laughs as I react with a shocked expression. **"Still as easy to read as ever, ahaha."**

Again, I try to ignore her but she just wouldn't drop the matter no matter what I try.

**"****But, in all seriousness, Nishir, why have you gone back to normal? I mean…" **The way she fidgets around with her hands tells me that this is actually a serious question as opposed to just another opportunity at teasing me so I decide to listen a bit more thoroughly. **"Look, all this time we were together, we both cried a lot, right? We gave each other hugs, huddled together for sleep and you even held my hand a few times. But now, when things are slowly returning to normal… you act as if it's still a bad thing to touch me - at least when I'm not crying…"**

"C-comforting you is something c-c-completely else!" I stutter nervously as Takari musters me curiously. "Maybe I would be less cautious around you if you didn't frequently poke or tickle me!" I continue in an agitated manner, speaking through gritted teeth. "In other words, I don't trust you because you're a troll! I never know when you're trying to ridicule me! That's why I prefer to have some safety distance from you, you can't possibly blame me for that!"

**"****Hmm, so just trying to be nicer to you ever since… back then wasn't enough, huh?" **Takari suddenly ponders with a stern and thoughtful expression, even forgetting to continue her meal. **"I can always read what's on your mind but there's an exception, Nishir. Wanna hear about it? Consider it an apology for the pokes; I'll be sharing another weakness with you."**

_This is oddly familiar, her asking me weird questions and then suddenly acting nice to wrap me around her devious fingers. Also, when did she start being nicer to me? I never noticed!_

"F-fine, I guess…" I eventually say with a nod but I'm not looking in her direction as she begins to explain, having a pretty good inkling what she might be on about.

**"Alright, here I go then," **she announces in a rather soft voice while ignoring the aforementioned safety distance entirely. **"You see, Nishir, I can always read your mind but… I just can't read your heart." **

"W-w-w-what?!" I fall over in shock as the rather romantic implementations register in my mind. Despite expecting to be teased for blushing (Did I ever mention that I hate my cheeks?!), Takari merely smiles at me.

**"Oh, you actually caught on to that. Maybe you're not as dense as I thought…" **

She says these things more to herself in a thoughtful manner. _Me, dense? What does she even mean?! _

**"Well, I suppose I'm still going to spell it out for you, just in case." **Sending a wink my way, I dread the words she's preparing to confront me with. **"Since I can't look into your heart… I don't really know what I actually am to you, Nishir."**

If I haven't been flustered before, I am definitely flustered now! _Crap, is she going to ask me whether I l-l-like her? I could never tell her that! _

**"Am I a mere friend to you or someone who is very important to you? Do you see me as a mere bully or am I a dear friend to you? Or…" **Suddenly, Takari is wearing her teasing face again, however she seems to be showing constraint for once. **"Well, I think I've said enough. Nishir, I would be very happy if you could tell me honestly what's truly in your heart. I've always found it funny and odd that you're so embarrassed around me…" **

_Doesn't change the fact that you always exploit this, ugh! _

"That's because you're a g-g-girl!" I explain with a stutter.

**"You haven't been responding like this to Emi or Greenie or any girl from our old herd though," **she points out matter-of-factly, again not exploiting my embarrassment for a tease, much to my surprise.

"Emi is like my sibling now and Greenie needed consoling so it didn't bother me!" I declare, somewhat irritated.

**"You know, Nishir, aren't we… siblings too? I mean, we were adopted into the same family." **

_Eh? For real?! _Takari has to stifle a laugh as she sees my shocked expression.

"A-anyway, you're different be-because you're dangerous! A-and a big bully! We just… happen to be friends too but you're still a big bully!"

Suddenly, Takari takes on a very thoughtful expression and suddenly acts very stern and serious.

**"Nishir, you're having trouble talking about your feelings, is that it?" **When I send her an alarmed look, she quickly elaborates on the thought. **"If my behavior bothers you, why don't you just say so?" **

"I do complain about you all the time!" I declare in irritation. "A-anyway, it'd kinda feel like losing to you if I didn't put up with it!"

I answer her honestly since she seems to have no interest in making fun of me right now.

**"****_That's _****your reason?" **She obviously seems amused about this but refrains from straight out mocking me. **"So you've been enduring it just so you wouldn't lose to me, that's silly. You know, you can tell me if I hurt your feelings."**

"I'd… rather not…" I mutter quietly, looking away awkwardly. A profound sigh escapes Takari's beak in response.

**"Oof, looks like I have to tickle this out of you, oh for crying out loud…" **

Momentarily, I jerk back as the word 'tickle' reaches my ears before relaxing when I realize that it was just figurative speech. Takari seems mildly amused but, moreover, she is unusually serious about matters she would usually just mention to taunt me. _Just what is the girl up to?_

**"Nishir, tell me honestly because I promise you not to make fun of you." **

_Is that even possible? _

"I can try…" I answer a little quietly. "As long as you don't ask anything too embarrassing to talk about …"

Takari nods at me appreciatively.

**"First of all, do you think of me as a friend?" **

_We're starting there?! _

"I-idiot, shouldn't that be obvious?!" Takari sends an apologetic giggle my way.

**"Well, you did call me a troll and a bully." **

_Hmm, I guess I did. Maybe that confused her? _

"You're still my friend though…" I speak very quietly. Takari relaxes a bit upon hearing my words.

**"Second question; are you happy with the status quo in our relationship?" **

_Re-re-relationship?! _

"W-what do you mean, we're not in a…" I can't finish the sentence. My cheeks are burning with embarrassment as Takari throws an amused stare my way, her eyes seemingly lingering on my bright-red face.

**"A friendship is a relationship too, silly," **she explains while brutally scrutinizing me. _You're not helping, Takari! _

"I-I might be comfortable with the status quo if you didn't tease me all the time…"

**"Aw, you're no fun, Nishir," **Takari laughs which prompts me to look at her directly once again. Needless to say, she takes notice.

"A-anyway, that's how I feel…"

**"****I see…" **

_She's doing a poor job at not teasing me, the way she looks at me is just as bad as being called out for blushing, oh for crying out loud!_

**"****Third question, Nishir…" **she announces and, suddenly, she begins to express a rare shy side to her that I've never seen before. I have no idea what's headed my way but, either way, I am prepared to brace the impact to my abilities.

**"****Do you like me?"**

_Eh? EH?! _

**"****And if you don't… what would I have to do to become a more likable dinosaur?"**

_Isn't that obvious?!_

**"****You know… I'm very grateful for everything you've done recently even though I've always been so mean to you. Moreover…"** Takari suddenly looks as awkward as I must look at the moment, mouth agape in shock. **"I want to know what you think about me, Nishir. I want the truth. I won't make fun of whatever it is too."**

_I'm having some serious doubts about this! However…_

"F-f-first of all, that's way too many questions at once!" I cry, already struggling to remember all of Takari's inquiries.

**"****Should I repeat them?" **the girl offers and I can't detect any ill intent in her words which confirms that she might be as serious as someone like Takari can possibly be.

"Nah, I'm not senile!" I retort in irritation while trying to make sense of what the girl was asking of me.

_First of all, why is she asking me all of this so suddenly? Takari is not acting like herself so this is uncharted territory. I don't know how she will react; this is going to make it a lot tougher to predict anything! I absolutely can't answer any of that without dying from embarrassment! These aren't things you just tell a girl for crying out loud! But then again… _Noticing Takari's mildly curious stare, looking at me with a tilted face, I decide to explain.

"I-I'm working on a response, okay? Give me a minute!"

**"****I'll just be over there with the others then," **she announces with a slight smile. **"I'm probably not helping much by pushing you, hehe."**

Takari indeed scrambles over to our new siblings (minus Raver) who are also having breakfast. Nervously, I stuff some food into my beak before continuing to ponder.

_Something is fishy indeed; Takari isn't considerate at all so why is she suddenly mindful of my hardships?! Either way, she actually seems to be nice to me today which is odd… and she is asking odd questions too she'd usually just ask to get a laugh out of it… _

Suddenly, I choke on some leaves as a realization comes to my attention.

_No way, could Takari actually l… oh I can't even say it in my head! But, if that's really true… if she l-l-l- - oh blast it! If we share this… feeling… what should I do?_

Uneasily, I glance over to the girl. To my surprise, she is also glancing at me with a smile that is hard to read. Certainly, the smile underlines her more adorable side which she so rarely shows. _Come to think of it, she looks strangely innocent right now_. _If only she could always be like this_, _docile and sweet rather than a jerk… maybe I'd find the courage to tell her… _

For some odd reason, I do not turn my eyes away, not looking directly at her but still focusing somewhere so close to her face that I can see the subtle changes in her expression.

_Why am I always so embarrassed? Why do I lack the courage to accept my feelings and be open about them? Is it because I'm afraid that she'll reject me? Is it because I'm afraid of being made fun of? Takari even said she wouldn't make fun of my answer… If I can somehow make her promise me to… _

Suddenly, without warning, the most foolproof plan I've ever had pops up out of nowhere, my flanks tickling with excitement at the sheer thought. Confidence spreads through my whole body; a broad smile develops on my beak.

_Today will be the day I finally beat Takari and answer a question I've been wondering about ever since I can remember! Just you wait, Takari!_

With an almost smug grin, I wave at her to return to me. Full of curiosity, Takari follows my instructions, not dropping the smile even as she sees me radiating with self-confidence.

**"****You were looking at me all this time," **the girl casually mentions and, now that I think about it, her words are mildly suggestive. Usually, such a casual remark would be all it needs to make me flustered but not now! _I'm invincible today!_

"Well, I just happened to need some inspiration for my new perfect plan, Takari," I proclaim proudly while spreading my arms like a preacher.

**"****Oh, this should be exciting," **Takari chuckles. **"Your plans usually suck after all."**

_Well, she might be right but today it's all different!_

"Go ahead and laugh, Takari, but you won't be prepared for this!" I promise her with unwavering confidence, feeling excited like a little swimmer just imagining her reaction to the proposal.

**"****Anyway, are you going to answer my questions? I was kind enough to give you some space to think about it after all."**

_Oh yes I will, Takari, but with a mighty twist!_

"About this… Takari, how about a contest?"

**"****A contest?"**

_Great, I captured her interest immediately!_

"Yes, a contest!" I repeat in a big booming voice. "Rather than telling you the answers now, I promise you to tell you the whole truth under one condition."

_I can't wait to see her flustered about this!_

**"****Hmm, a condition… Gee, I wonder what it'll be…" **Takari puzzles and her smile is still not wavering. _You're too damn confident, Takari!_

"You'd never be able to guess it because this is a foolproof plan for once!" No matter what I say to shake her confidence, it falls on deaf ears. If anything, Takari continues to grow more and more amused.

**"****Well, then how about this, Nishir?" **she offers, a wide grin spreading across her face. **"I'll accept whatever condition you have in mind but if I can guess the condition, you must allow me to make one too. That sound good?"**

"Bring it on!" I exclaim without a thought. _After all, she could never anticipate such a twist; this is too advanced even for Takari! But wait, what if Takari can read my mind right now? Well, it's a win-win situation either way, I cannot possibly lose today!_

**"****You'll tell me everything if I don't tease you for an entire day, is that it?"**

_For real? She guessed it!?_

"Why… yes…" I admit sourly. Abruptly, Takari erupts into laughter like a smoking mountain on a bad day, holding her stomach as tears fall from her eyes from the sheer intensity of her entertainment. _Well, I suppose I did a good job at making her day at least. Now I'm curious what kind of condition she'll put on me…_

Takari's fit of laughter is so intense that it takes well over a minute for her to regain her senses and her breath.

**"****No matter how good the plan, I can still read your mind, Nishir," **she eventually exhales, still giggling in a silly fashion. **"You were too obvious, ahaha!"**

_Is she trying to give me advice now?_

"A-anyway… that's my condition and… you already said you'd accept it…"

**"****Yup! No teasing you for a day, geez you're quite cunning for once…"**

_Aren't I, Takari? Hahaha!_

"So, you promise? I won't tell you a thing if you fail!"

**"****Yup, a deal is a deal," **Takari promises, making the respective hand gesture to underline her statement. **"Besides, this is already a bit of a ****_teaser_**** since I now know that you don't like me teasing you at all."**

_She's realizing this now?! Also, is this a pun?!_

**"****Well, I guess I should use today to practise how to control that bad habit of mine."**

_Bad habit? You're doing that on purpose!_

"R-right! You'd better practice well!" I shout at her, causing her to giggle again. "Anyway, what is your condition?"

**"****No matter what I ask you today, you must tell me the truth."**

_No matter what she is going to ask me… wait a second!_

"T-t-that's too harsh, Takari!" I cry in outrage but Takari merely laughs with a smug grin.

**"****A deal is a deal. We made a promise," **she reminds me with an evil grin. **"Or are you gonna bail out? I'd be the winner again…"**

_Crap, she absolutely got me as always…_

"You're probably going to ask weird stuff at the end of the day… oh today will be so great…" I mutter to myself, much to the girl's amusement.

**"****You accept then?"**

"Mhm," I grunt with a small nod. After all, there was still the possibility that Takari failed to hold her promise not to tease me which would also render her condition useless.

**"****Wonderful! By the way, you should really eat up, I heard the kids know of a good place to tell stories to them."**

"Yeah, give me a sec…" I grunt again. Suddenly, all spirit has been depleted from me as I can only dread what horrors would await me at the end of the day. Well, as I stuff some more food into my beak, munching on it with relentless force, a somewhat relaxing thought remains.

_At least I'll know what she feels about me by the end of the day… and I won't be teased._

Probably.

* * *

I quickly eat my fill as everyone seems to be rather excited about something.

_Guess they might really know a cool place? Or maybe they're just excited to hear how the story continues? Well, either way…_

A quick look into their ranks confirms that they're still a member short.

_Raver must still be with Greenie. Lucky guy, at least he can sleep in after that night… Gee, would it even be fair to continue without him?_

Thankfully, I don't have to utter that question out loud. As if summoned, a rattle in the nearby vegetation takes everyone's attention until a little green head pops out of a nearby bush.

**"****Erm, yo?" **he offers weakly as his siblings send a sharp glance in his direction. Deciding to save him a harsh greeting, I quickly scurry over to the scene.

"Hey Raver, slept as brilliantly as I did?" I greet him with a booming voice.

**"****Like a rock, Nishir bro!" **he confirms but his droopy eyes speak another language altogether. _If anything, he must have slept even less than I did._ A lot quieter and more serious, I add.

"How's she doing?"

**"****Greenie? Uhh, fine, I guess?"**

Noticing the awkward glare at his siblings and their unnatural curiosity, I decide to save a more thorough interview for later.

"Great, now I heard you guys want to go somewhere? Mind filling me in?"

**"****Sure!" **Emi chirps happily, jumping from one foot to the other in excitement. **"We're going to a super secret place; don't tell anyone about it because it's suuuuuper super secret!"**

**"****Silly, no reason to say it twice," **Beakles taunts his sister, much to her annoyance. **"But yeah, that's basically it. A suuuuper secret place; you guys are gonna love it."**

**"****You like adventures, don't you?" **Zekir asks casually.

**"****Bro, after hearing some of their stories, do you honestly doubt that?" **Beakles deadpans.

**"****W-well, they didn't exactly ask for it, right?" **the meek little swimmer counters bravely. _He might be a little dim but he has a point._

"Yeah, we really didn't ask for such an adventure but it doesn't mean that we dislike the thought of going an adventure that isn't going to kill us," I offer with a slight chuckle.

**"****As long as there's no danger, adventures are all fun, yup!" **Takari confirms with a grin. **"We'd often explore every corner of our old home when we were bored."**

**"****We too, we too!" **Emi jumps up and down in excitement.

**"****Yeah, we're often bored," **Beakles admits before his voice takes on a sly undertone. **"Well, with parents that are hardly home and a sappy brother like Raver, that's to be expected."**

I quickly have to tackle Raver to prevent a fight from breaking out.

**"****You're the sappy one!" **he retorts but my tackle is strong enough to hold him down. _I guess these two often get physical with each other._

**"****Don't fight, guys, I don't want any bad blood on a fun day like today, alright?"**

As if on command, Raver stops struggling against me and Beakles drops the jeering expression on his face.

_Takari knows how to deal with them even though she doesn't have any siblings. As always, she's quite amazing!_

"Now that this is settled…" I release Raver from the lock. "Where exactly are we going?"

**"****It's a s. e. c. r. e. t," **Emi spells out while making a cute face.

**"****Looks like we'll have to find out, Nishir," **Takari chuckles in high spirits.

**"****If it's what I think it is, it'll be well worth it," **Raver promises with a shrug, dusting himself off.

**"****Yup, it's exactly what you think, bro," **Beakles replies, a bit of a cheeky undertone still present in his voice but either Raver didn't notice or he was smart enough not to get triggered this time.

**"****What are we waiting for then, let's go!" **Zekir exclaims, adventure spirit taking hold of him as well as everyone else. Whatever these guys have planned for us, I'm sure it'll be worth the excitement.

* * *

Much to my surprise, Takari seems to be serious about not teasing me today. Almost as soon as we start walking into the forest, using the same path we used to get to the mountain the other day, she begins to involve me in some smalltalk, not exploiting any of the usual opportunities to tease me but, rather, acting unnaturally sincere when I start complaining about getting so little sleep. Constantly, yawns would escape my beak and Raver didn't seem to be doing much better in that regard, regularly rubbing his eyes as he trotted after his siblings who had taken the lead, occasionally chattering amongst themselves.

Eventually, I manage to escape Takari in conversation just as we reach the base of the mountain.

_We're not going to go up that mountain again, are we?_

**"****From here on, we'll have to break through the thick jungle for a while but it'll be worth it!" **Beakles announces brightly, quite apparently looking forward to whatever is awaiting us. _Well, walking off-path is nothing for Takari and me, we've done that all the time at our old home…_

Our group takes a very sharp turn to the right, straight into the thick vegetation that grows over much of the island. The trees grow particularly large in these parts and apparently never heard of the word "personal space". I'm not even mentioning all the underbrush, bushes, ferns and tall grass growing without order. Quite often, Takari and I have to take detours because we wouldn't be able to squeeze through gaps that the kids were still able to slip past.

After a few minutes, the trees change drastically. There's now a very thick area of smaller vegetation that reminds more of overgrown bushes rather than actual trees. Either way, as Takari joins the three siblings in forging a path through this unforgiving jungle, I signal Raver to fall back a bit so we can chat for a little without being overheard.

"So how is Greenie doing?" I casually ask the boy as I slip a yawn.

**"****She's doing pretty good, I think," **Raver yawns back at me. Our gazes meet and we snicker for a bit at our mutual predicament. **"She fell asleep somewhat soon after you left but err I was worried she'd have a sleep story or something so I uhh…"**

"You stayed awake?" I prompt him with some curiosity.

**"****N-not all the time of course but f-for a little while…" **Raver seems to be in some commotion. **"Well, I was simply so happy to see her again and she looked so peaceful and happy when she slept. S-she kinda fell asleep while I was hugging her so I was afraid to move even if I wasn't comfortable… Nishir, are all girls so cute when they sleep?"**

I have to stifle a laugh at the display of the clumsy boy who seemed to trust me so much now that he'd even share his feelings with me. Appreciating this, I quickly check whether anyone is listening in on us before responding.

"You ask me? I'm probably just as clueless about these things as you are, Raver," I retort weakly as not to be overheard though I still owe him an answer for his trust and honesty. "Takari is cute when she sleeps… and when she laughs… though I could never tell her straight in the face… "

**"****You really like her, huh?"**

"D-does that matter?" I stammer as I push a large branch to the side that's blocking our path. "I'd rather drown than to tell her that I l-l-l - you know!"

**"****The thing is, Nishir, I think I like her too…"**

_Wait, what?_

**"****Greenie, I mean…" **he adds after he notices my shocked stare.

"Should've said so right away," I grunt at him.

**"****You must like her if the thought alone pisses you off, bro."**

_Oh come on, am I THIS easy to tease? Even bloody Raver can do it!_

"And we'll have a real problem if you ever tell her that I do, got that you little nuisance?" I hiss in his direction before playfully giving the boy a head nut.

**"****Same if you ever tell Beakles that I like Greenie," **he hisses in return, however he doesn't seem to have enough guts to return the gesture at me. Instead, he carries on in a more docile manner, sharing more of his feelings with me.

**"****I know I'm probably too young but I still think that I like her a little more than just like a friend, you know?"**

Doublechecking whether the air is still clear, I reply.

"I've known Takari for a long time, probably for a few cold times already. I've l-l- - you know… for a long time so… it's not as absurd as you paint it, Raver."

**"****Then what does it feel like to like a girl?"**

_Can this conversation get any more awkward?_

**"****You know, when I asked Mom once, she'd just tell me that I'd know when the time comes and that I shouldn't worry about it. But I do worry because I need to be sure before telling her something so… embarrassing…"**

_Hmm, okay I think I can relate on this level…_

"I can… try to put what I feel into words," I mutter in slight embarrassment as I feel my cheeks flare up. However, despite the mortification, I suddenly begin to realize that this could also be a chance to practise. _I have to tell Takari who knows what later, might as well practise it a bit so it doesn't end up being a full-blown fail…_

"I think the most notorious thing about l-l-l…" Suddenly, a surge of frustration at my inability to say this word overcomes me. "Oh for crying out loud, LIKING!"

**"****Psssst, not so loud, idiot!" **Raver hisses into my ear but the warning came too late.

_Crap, Takari noticed!_

**"****What are you guys talking about?" **the girl inquires with a grin that suggests that she has more than a mere hunch. Quickly, I come up with a stupid lie which actually isn't a lie, literally speaking. _Because, otherwise, I'd be breaking the pact we forged in the morning!_

"Oh, I was just saying how much I LIKE this adventure! Oh yes, I'm reeeaaally enjoying myself!"

**"****Y-yeah, I really LIKE to show you and Nishir around, like really!" **Raver adds nervously. Takari seems about to drop a bomb when her expression suddenly switches from gleeful to innocent.

**"****Well, me three!"** she announces sweetly before turning her back to us again.

_She must have stopped because she was about to unleash a mighty tease. Phew, I suppose I kind of saved us just now…_

**"****Yikes, that was close…" **Raver hisses quietly. **"I thought she was about to roast us…"**

"Yeah, girls are scary…" I agree, allowing myself to fall back even further from the main group as I pretend to have trouble breaking through some vegetation. "What I was gonna say just now… well… First thing you notice is that you get really nervous and shy around her, I guess. Spending time together or just seeing her makes me really happy even if she's in a teasing mood. You… kinda want to get close but… you're also… afraid. But if you ever manage to touch, it makes your heart pound. S-same if your eyes meet; it makes you feel all fuzzy and flustered but also… excited? I dunno…"

**"****Hey, that's just how I felt at first when you told me to hug Greenie!" **Raver declares in excitement. **"But after I got used to the nervousness, I started liking it a bit - I mean she was crying like crazy, it was so awkward…"**

"Guess we both can't deny it, huh?" I grunt in half-hearted sarcasm. "Well, I suppose I'd better accept it sooner than later…"

**"****Huh, you haven't already?" **Raver wonders in surprise.

_Should I tell him about this?_

**"****Does Takari know?"**

"How'd I know, haven't told her of course," I state rather bluntly.

**"****Do you want to tell her one day?"**

_Good question, do I want to? Or am I forced to do it?_

**"****You see, Nishir, I… kind of want to tell Greenie as soon as she recovers but… I don't know how!"**

"You're asking the wrong swimmer for advice, Raver, I have no clue how to say it either… like I said I'd rather drown than having to say it in her face …"

_As a matter of fact, if this morning isn't anything to go by, she's probably gonna make me say it today… I can't lie to her and I want to find out what she is feeling about me too but… urgh, maybe I should just drown after all?_

"Raver, we don't happen to find any large bodies of water on our adventure today, do we?"

**"****Wait, you were serious?!" **the boy panics.

"To some degree… I guess?"

_Sigh, I guess I'll have to tell him after all…_

"Err… I tried to avoid a few questions Takari yeeted at me this morning but it kind of backfired when she managed to guess what I'd choose as a condition for our contest." Raver follows me with interest. "As a result, she was allowed to make a condition too and it's horrible! I'm trading a day free of teasing for having to answer any question that she asks me today without lying, provided that she manages to keep her part…"

**"****What kind of questions were you trying to avoid, bro? Wow, it really backfired bad for you…"**

"Well, stuff like… " Even though this is Raver who has shared everything with me so casually, I'm still finding some trouble finding the courage to tell him. "You know, she was spouting some nonsense like not being able to see what's in my heart and wanted to know what I think about her. Of course I didn't want to tell her - I'm not prepared yet! But, with the condition she placed on me, I'll have to if she's serious about it…"

**"****Well, at least you're lucky, bro…"**

_Lucky?! Where did he read that?!_

**"****If she's interested in finding out, being so obvious about it, I'm sure she likes you a lot, Nishir!"**

_Wait… how did he just read this so easily? It makes sense now that he's saying these things but…_

"A-are you sure, Raver?" I ask him, nervously fighting my way through endless patches of green.

_This is Takari we're talking about, it could just be a great scheme to embarrass me to the ground! I mustn't trust her so easily!_

**"****Well, at least you've got more hints than I do… I don't think Greenie ever said anything… and she's never been acting as if she liked me more than… you know…"**

"She trusted you enough to fall asleep as you hugged her!" I point out as if it was something obvious. "I'm pretty sure she at least wouldn't be opposed to the thought of you liking her like that - not after the things you've done for her…"

**"****You sure? I'm not sure… I mean she's a child like me and she probably has so many other things on her mind that there wouldn't even be space for such thoughts right now…"**

_Raver, I never thought you were so tactful…_

"Well, at least you don't have to fear being made fun of. Takari teases me for literally ANYthing. It's horror!"

**"****She might do it because she likes you… and, I guess, because you freak out easily."**

"Oh what if I am?!" I cry in slight irritation. "I can't help it and she's making it worse!"

**"****Well, I guess…" **Raver chuckles. **"You know, Greenie is quite easy to annoy as well. I suppose, I might also do it because… I like her. Takari might do it because she likes you too!"**

"Are you sure, Raver?" I ask him with a serious face. Knowing whether or not Takari is having feelings towards me would make a tremendous difference in my approach to plan an eventual interview later today._ If I know that she likes me… she'll probably be happy to hear my answer and might not tease me after all…_

**"****No, but are you sure?" **he asks just as seriously.

"Do I look like I am?" I deadpan. Raver and I suddenly exchange a meaningful glance. "M-maybe we should help each other, huh?"

**"****Yeah, for sure!" **the boy replies eagerly. **"Oh, but if you still feel like drowning yourself, there'll be a few opportunities along the way."**

"Lovely," I comment in dark sarcasm which earns me a few laughs from Raver.

**"****Actually, we should almost be there…"** Raver mumbles as he checks his surroundings.

_Where is "there" supposed to be? There's only endless jungle!_

A few minutes later, though, I learn what Raver was referring to. The first thing that comes to my attention is the sound of bubbling water. After breaking through the wall of green at last, I can see a small pond, hardly large enough for a single adult to bathe in. Numerous bubbles are thrusting towards the surface, causing the surface to dance wildly. A light plume of steam wafting above the pond indicates that the water is hot - or at least rather warm.

**"****Oh my, hot springs!" **Takari exclaims in utmost excitement. Naturally, like me, she has never seen any hot ponds before since there weren't any smoking mountains nearby in our old home. _So I've got to assume that this huge mountain here is a smoking mountain - or at least, used to be…_

**"****It's a bit steamy but it's quite pleasant once your body adapts to the heat," **Beakles explains in a guide-like fashion, seemingly enjoying the role.

**"****We can take a bath in this?" **Takari inquires with huge excitement.

**"****Naturally," **Beakles nods with a smile.

**"****Let's all hop in and listen to a story!" **Emi suggests with a squeal of joy.

_Hey, not a bad idea!_

Exchanging a quick nod with Takari, I confirm.

"Yeah sure, this is a good idea."

**"****Yeah, I kind of want to know how you ended up not getting eaten back then,"** Zekir mentions as Beakles and Emi leap head-first into the small pond, Raver soon following with a huge bomb, splashing us with really warm water.

**"****Nishir, let's hop in too," **Takari prompts me before, carefully, testing the water temperature with her toes. For a moment, she jerks back but then she gradually allows her body to glide into the pond.

_Must not be hot enough to burn you then…_

Just as carefully, I slowly slip into the water just as Zekir takes his seat between Raver and Emi that I've had my eyes on just now.

_As luck would have it, I end up next to Takari, great…_

While I'm trying to inch as far from her as possible, much to Beakles' amusement who is my other seat neighbor, I disgruntledly begin to introduce the start (or, rather, continuation) of our tale how we ended up not being eaten.

"You know, Takari and I got super lucky, you'd better believe it you lot!"

And so, I start telling while trying to ignore the fuzzy feeling in my stomach which may or may not be a lot worse due to the bubbles in the water...

* * *

**Alright, here's the next chapter, guys, and, as promised, it's a lot more cheerful than the previous 4 chapters xD**

**Could it be that the relationship between Nishir and Takari is actually _advancing_? I'll leave that to you guys to decide for now :P**

**As promised, the cliffhanger finally gets resolved in the next chapter lol, the story will take over again but the siblings are going to continue their adventure too from time to time!**

* * *

Guest chapter 7 . Aug 15

"Much like the previous entry, this chapter excellently demonstrates how tragedy, both directly and indirectly, can drastically change people. Upon my initial reading, I was under the impression that the present scenes took place after a significant time skip. Making Takari and Nishir in their late teens as opposed to preteens like in the flashbacks. Although this turned out to be untrue, the fact that I had this misconception at first is a testament to how quickly their trauma has forced our leads to mature. This is seen to an extent with the gang in the original LBT. Despite being canonically 5 years old during the first film, they express emotional maturity beyond their age. Still childish at times, but better than what'd commonly be attributed to 5 year olds. However, unlike the gang, Nishir and Takari were never able to fully regain their childhoods and this heightened emotional maturity continued.

Although Raver's intense hostile reaction towards Greenie was terrible, and Takari's anger what he said was completely justified, I can nonetheless sympathize with Raver to a certain extent. He's not a malicious person and he clearly cares about Greenie, but every positive action he'd tried to take up to this point was completely ignored. Honestly, I can see many adults cracking under similar emotional pressure, considering Raver is trying to deal with this situation as an adolescent I can understand why he'd snap. It doesn't justify what he said to her, but he can be understood from this perspective.

I'm glad that Raver felt remorse for what he said and that this experience, along with the help of Nishir and Takari, was ultimately able to help rekindle the friendship between Reaver and Greenie. Greenie will still need more time to recover, and may not be the same as she was before, but it's a step in the right direction towards a better life.

In all, I think you did a very good job of balancing the darker elements of this chapter with moments of levity. It's still dark, but it's more hopefully than the previous chapters. Conveying the emotional scenes whilst preventing the reader from becoming mired in negativity."

**Thanks for the review :)**

**Yes, they have matured but the time difference between present and past should be around a few weeks right now. I like your comparison, it's always interesting to see how many things I unintentionally reference :D**

**I'm glad that Raver's actions and feelings can be understandable. I know he's had a bit of an unfortunate role in this chapter, I'm glad it wasn't seen as idiotic and unjustified behavior. Same for Greenie btw, I'm glad her actions weren't seen as unreasonable.**

**Thanks for your kind words as always :) **


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